Dance with Me
by El.Ave.Fenix
Summary: "Just once I would like to see you without that damn makeup," she whispered to him in the dark, reaching out to touch the side of his face. His hand shot out and seized her's with a crushing force. "The makeup dosent come off, beautiful," he snarled back.
1. Dance with the Devil

**Dance With the Devil...**

**A/N:First fic about Batman, I feel so acomplished! :D Im extremly new to this part of fanfiction so bare with me if its not to your liking! Let me know what you thing, enjoy!**

He stumbled aimlessly through a dark alleyway, his gloved hand pressed up against his side. The pain was nothing new to him, and yet he found his vision slowly becoming cloudy, he shook his head trying to get his attention back on the task at hand. He felt a warm liquid running down the side of his face; he reached up with his free hand and lowered it once more to see the damage.

He grinned halfheartedly despite himself upon seeing his own blood mixed with white grease make up. He continued on his way, his occupied hand clutching desperately at the wound that oozed blood.

The Bat had been too rough, a bad day perhaps? He could still feel the brutal beating that Gotham's vigilante had given him minutes ago, he was sure he had several bruises already. The scars on the inside of his mouth were no doubt reopened after receiving several blows to the side of the face. He spat out blood and groaned. The meager noise turning into a chuckle as he ran his tongue over the scars inside of his mouth, the metallic tang making him spit out the foul liquid once more.

A stray cat darted out from its hiding place running in front of him causing him to halt and let the feline continue on its way before looking around trying to recognize where he was. He leaned up against the nearest wall available to him and closed his eyes for a moment, the temptation to never open them again and just lie there grew irresistible.

His hair fell into his eyes shrouding his vision with green strands; he regained his strength and managed to push himself off of the wall, tossing his hair back with the motion of his hand. He saw a street up ahead; he had to cross it if he was to get anywhere tonight.

He shuffled over to the alley entrance and stood in the shadows for a few moments, out of all of the days the Bat could have picked to take out his anger on him it had to be today.

Halloween.

He loathed the holiday, the one day of the year that people thought nothing of swooping down to his level and dressing up, putting on makeup and going out. He wore makeup all of the time, and people considered him a…a… '_freak-uh,' _he thought in his head, dragging out the word enjoying the way it sounded in his thoughts.

They certainly didn't find it odd when they put on their makeup or dressed up in idiotic costumes, and yet he was the freak. Idiots, all of them.

He brushed those thoughts as he stumbled onto the street; with so many people in disguises no one cast him a second glance. Had they done so they would have noticed the irritated look on his face, and the obvious crimson liquid dripping down this side, staining his clothes.

Much to his predicament someone did notice, a child of all people.

"Fraulein…what's wrong with the clown?" the little girl asked pointing to the clown in question from her seat in her car. The woman driving the car slammed down on the breaks upon seeing who her sister was pointing to.

"Oh my god," she murmured looking the man over quickly, she could tell he was bleeding too much, and by the way he leaned on the wall he was slowly losing consciousness. She noted that he was dressed as a clown, a creepy one at that as her eyes scanned the 'scars' he had probably applied on himself for effect. She wondered if he was faking the whole thing, but as soon as she saw him clutch his wound once more she knew he wasn't pretending to be hurt.

"Kiri stay in the car," she ordered the child next to her as she nodded in return.

"Of course, fraulein," Kiri answered after seeing her sister dash out of the car and head over to the funny looking man.

"Excuse me, sir? Are you alright?" she asked as she neared him cautiously. He didn't even bother in replying, clearly she hadn't seen him clearly yet. As soon as she got a good look at his face she would run away and call the cops on him, maybe the Bat would show up again and finish what he had started.

He turned towards the sound of the voice and was greeted by a woman dressed in a black and white jester suit, the makeup she wore matching the color scheme of her outfit. He would have laughed had he been able to.

"Do I look alright to you…" he laughed waiting for the inevitable reaction that was to come. For her to realize who she was talking to. He fingered the knife in his coat pocket, ready to click it open and end her life if she so much as opened her mouth to call out for help.

She merely stared back dumbfounded, the man was knocking on death's door and there he was bleeding to death while laughing. Such a strange character.

"Do you need any help, would you like me to call someone for you?" she questioned moving towards now entering the alley with him before he straightened himself up and stood full height. She halted and stared up at him, she could have sworn she knew him from somewhere.

"I don't need your help, beautiful," he snapped spitting out blood causing her to jump and stare at him in concern. She was debating whether she should leave him there or call for help. He seemed to catch on as well as he moved forward with a shocking amount of speed and seized her by her throat.

His bloodied glove applied pressure to her neck as the other took out his knife and pressed it up against her throat, her body being slammed up against the alley wall.

"Don't get any ideas, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?" he snarled at her as she dropped the phone she had taken out seconds ago to call the police. She could have sworn she saw stars upon colliding with the harsh wall, that didn't seem to bother him however.

Her terrified eyes stared at up at his haunting chocolate orbs raging with so many emotions she couldn't even begging to read him. She opened her mouth to say something but decided to remain silent, she didn't know what he would do next and it horrified her.

"Why so serious, beautiful? Don't ya' know who I am?" he asked her tilting his head, his wounds long forgotten as blood dripped down his side and formed a puddle next to him. She kept exchanging glances at him and at the blood on the black pavement, truth be told she didn't know who he was.

She shook her head, and a flash of rage crossed his eyes, his smile dropping slightly. Not only because of her failing to recognize him, but due to his head spinning uncontrollably. His grip loosed on her, and before he knew it his forehead was resting on her exposed shoulder. His body finally reached its limit; it had lost too much blood. He fell unconscious much to her predicament as she tried to catch his body as it collapsed before her.

She struggled to drag him to her car, and threw him in the back seat. She didn't know why she was helping him; he had threatened her with a knife after all. But perhaps it was due to his condition, hell if she was in his shoes she would have killed anyone who tried to get near her, whether they wanted to offer her help or not.

She glanced at his unconscious form from her rearview mirror, and then to Kirimi.

"I'm going to drop you off with Gabriel ok? I have to take care of him," she told her sister who in turn nodded and stared back at the clown in their back seat.

She would have never picked him up and helped him had she known who he was. She drove on unaware that she currently held none other than Gotham's clown prince of crime in her car.

The Joker.

**Hmm, let me know what you think! Go easy on my my dear readers! :D**


	2. Debt to Pay

**Debt To Pay...**

**A/N: I must say Im surprised that I got such a positive response on this story, I didnt think anyone would actually bother in reviewing! Kuddos to: dEnIsE tHe StRaNgE, Future Trunks Lover (Btw...love the name ;D) allthelovers, My Purple Skies & the one annonymous review! I know there isnt alot of our favorite clown prince of crime in this chappie, but dont worry! You know he dosent stay out of people's business for long! With that said, enjoy!**

"What the hell were you thinking?" her friend, Lucifer, scolded angrily walking to her car hurriedly after the call he had received from her minutes ago. He looked in the back seat and sure enough a beaten up clown lay sprawled on the backseats. He opened the door and reached into pick the man up while tossing him over his shoulder carefully.

"I don't know! I couldn't leave him there!" Monica shouted back turning the car off with a grimace. She quickly opened the door to her car and stepped out tossing her hair back in a huff, she truly didn't know what she had gotten herself into. She closed the door with an agitated huff and jogged over to Lucifer who stood outside of his house staring at her expectantly.

She reached him and opened the door for him as he stepped in after giving her one more 'What the hell?' look. She rolled her eyes and closed the door after him, rushing to the living room where she had seen Lucifer take the clown. Sure enough he had placed the man on the couch and had scrambled off to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit.

She walked over to him cautiously, but stopped abruptly and realized her caution was in vain. He wasn't going to be waking up any time soon, that being said she neared him without any hesitation and crouched down to get a good look at his face.

She frowned one she noticed the green locks covering half of his face, her fingers curled around his hair carefully and pulled it away to reveal his grease make up covered face. Her eyes locked on the scars stretching from the corners of his lips to the top of his cheeks. She shuddered slightly; she couldn't fathom the reason for anyone wanting to apply scars like that on Halloween.

The temptation to reach out her hand and remove the disturbing fake scars was tempting; her hand was halfway there when Lucifer walked in with once more with various supplies in his arms. Monica jumped upon hearing his heavy boots hit the hardwood floors, her hand dropped quickly and she moved away from the clown just as Lucifer entered the room.

"Do you mind if I wash this off in your bathroom?" she asked pointing to the her makeup covered face, in reply he merely shook his head and pointed her in the right direction before getting started on his patient.

She had brought the clown to him for one reason, and one reason only, he was the only one studying to become a doctor out of all of her contacts. He resisted the urge to smear the makeup off of the clown before him, that could wait…right now he needed to see what had caused the man to pass out.

After looking him over Lucifer could tell where the problem was. A large crimson stain gleamed in the dim lighting, Lucifer breathed in before reaching over and taking the other man's purple trench coat off and tossing it over the arm of the leather couch in which he rested. He reached over and started to undo the vest and shirt, after some struggle he managed to undo the pesky clothing.

Monica walked in just as he pulled the dress shirt apart revealing the deep gash that was responsible for all of this. She dropped her jaw upon seeing the clown's chest, it was littered with scars, some still fresh others already old and fading. Her eyes settled on the current wound that Lucifer was treating him for; she winced as it oozed out blood.

"Where did you find this guy anyway?" Lucifer asked pulling out a sterilized needle after he had cleaned the wound. He started to sew the gash up as she sat on the opposite couch, eyes locked on the clown before her.

"Kiri wanted to go trick or treating so we went, and when we were getting ready to leave he caught her attention, the poor clown was bleeding all over the place, Lucifer," she replied eyeing the make up on the unconscious man, "I wasn't going to leave him there to die," she added upon receiving a glance from the doctor to be.

Both of them tensed up when the clown shifted halfway through the sewing, the room went eerily silent, as both of them tensed and held their breath to see if he would wake up. After a moment the man went limp once more, and after a moment of hesitation Lucifer continued to patch him up.

When he was done he stood up and collected all of his supplies and walked away leaving her alone once more with a complete stranger. Her eyes burned holes into him as she refused to look away; she stood up once more and walked over to him. She closed up his shirt nervously, her hands shaking before she pulled the trench coat over him.

"Who are you?" she whispered to him stepping back to look at him one final time before Lucifer came back.

"I'm assuming your expecting me to let him stay here," he told her as an innocent smile crept up her lips. He groaned upon getting his suspicions confirmed.

"Please, it's just one night, I'm sure he'll want to leave in the morning," she pleaded still not aware of the criminal she was sharing the room with. Lucifer sighed running a hand through his black spiked hair; he glanced over at the man on his couch before looking back at Monica.

Her brown eyes never left his own grey pair. She knew she had won once he lost the will to argue and point out all of the obvious reasons on why keeping a stranger was a bad idea.

"Fine! But if you come back in the morning and I'm dead in a puddle of my own blood you know who did it," he joked as she managed a laugh as well.

"Don't worry Lu, I'll be here to protect you," she teased punching his shoulder teasingly.

"I'm assuming you're staying too," he told her as she nodded and proceeded on walking over to the remaining couch. He resisted the urge to laugh as she flopped down on it and stretched luxuriously resembling a cat.

"I'll see you tomorrow then…if you survive the night with that phsycho," he laughed waving to her as he walked away. She replied with a laugh of her own before glancing one last time at the clown across from her. She settled down for the night doubting he would wake up before her.

The next morning however proved her wrong.

"THE BASTARD!" she yelled rubbing her hand furiously across her mouth before Lucifer rushed in dressed in nothing but his boxers.

"What! What happened?" he asked sleepily seeing the red make up smeared over her sleeve some still remaining on her mouth and cheek before something else caught his attention. He pointed it out to her as she walked over to the knife that had been stabbed into the wooden coffee table to hold a card.

She pulled the knife out and picked up the card, her fury escalating even more.

'_Thanks for the help, beautiful…_

_I won't be forgetting this soon. _

_-J.'_

She tossed the playing card aside with a growl and moved over to Lucifer.

"I have to go, I'm late for work," she told him standing on her tip toes to kiss the side of his cheek. The small gesture angering her later after realizing that it had been done to her while she slept.

"You're working today? Who's getting new ink?" he asked curiously stretching watching her storm around his house retrieving her belongings.

"Gabriel wanted to get something done," she replied as he nodded and moved towards his door to open it for her.

"You mind if I drop by as well, I've wanted to get something tattooed as well," he asked as she walked by him eyeing him from head to toe.

"Anything for you, love," she replied stepping out of his house before pausing at the doorway, "and while you're at it put some pants on," she replied winking at him as he looked down and realized his predicament. His face flushed before he face palmed.

"I will," he murmured as she laughed and headed towards her car in a hurry tossing her jester hat in the back seat.

"The nerve of the damn clown…" she hissed under her breath stepping on the gas pedal, the car roaring to a start as she darted through the streets, "I'm late already, this is going to be a great day," she added shaking her head.

Could thing's get any worse?

**Review! Seriously...review or I'll get the Joker to carve your faces! :D **


	3. Escapade

**Escapade...**

**A/N: I felt this was a little rushed, but I guess you guys will be the judge of that :D I love all of those who reviewed! Enjoy. **

"You´re late boss," Judas mumbled glancing up from his customer only to see Monica storm into the room and toss her bag into her tattoo chair. She glanced over at him and then at his customer before slumping down on an empty chair at one of the stations.

His green eyes scanned her critically; he kept quiet knowing she was already agitated and resumed his tattoo. He was about to ask what was wrong before he was beat to the punch.

"Rough night, eh?" Viktor, another tattooer, called glancing up from the tattoo he was working on only to receive a sigh from Monica.

"You have no idea," she mumbled back leaning into the chair while closing her eyes trying to erase the memories of the clown from her mind. She ran a hand through her hair before realizing that she had a customer as well, to top it all off she was late to her appointment. Thank god her other tattooers where already working on their clients.

She looked around and sighed in relief once she found Gabriel looking up at her from his sprawled position on the couch near the entrance. His sleepy expression only confirming her suspicions, he had been waiting for her for a while.

He stretched with a pleased sigh and walked over to her chair; he merely sat down on it lazily and spun it to face her.

"So what happened, sweetheart?" Gabriel asked resting his head on his right palm, his grey eyes looking her over. Her expression turned into a sneer as she watched his lips tilt upwards into a smile upon realizing his staring was starting to annoy her.

"None of your business," she snarled back standing from her chair and moving towards the back of the store to retrieve the piece he wanted to get done. She showed it to him without saying a single word; he merely smiled up at her and nodded knowing he was getting to her.

"Ya´gonna tell me or what?" he asked as she started to apply the stencil carefully making sure it was in the right position. Pleased with her work she moved to retrieve her equipment. She was distracted today, and when you tattooed people for a living it was never a good thing to be so distant.

"A stupid clown ruined my night…and Kiri´s," she told him finally caving in as her tattooers all glanced up at her during some point obviously waiting to hear the rest of the story.

"Really now…who was he exactly?" Judas asked defensively pausing from the tattoo he was applying to look at his boss carefully.

"I didn't even get his name…" she mumbled realizing that despite all of her work to keep the bastard alive he hadn't even bothered in telling her, " he thought it amusing to leave a card on Lucifer´s table thought, all it had was the letter J," she told him as Judas´ customer glanced at her suspiciously.

Judas turned noticing his client was staring at Monica too intently and resumed his work, his needle resuming its meticulous work. He eyed the art he had been working on for the past hour, much to his content it was coming out nicely.

"And how is it that you came to know the guy?" Jack asked walking up to her and eyeing the tattoo she was doing on Gabriel. He observed as she tried to block him out of her thoughts and concentrate on the tattoo, he could tell by her expression that she was having a hard time trying to ignore him.

"I don't know, Kiri pointed him out to me…the poor guy was bleeding in an alley," she replied as Judas´ customer glanced at her again. This was all sounding eerily familiar; his boss wouldn't want to hear that his midnight escapade was being made public by a woman.

He glanced at the tattoo he was getting done pleased with the artist that was applying it. Two black scribbled eyes stared at him, the jagged red smile underneath standing out almost instantly. It had always been an inside joke amongst the men he worked with to get this done sooner or later, after all it marked who they worked for permanently.

"Gotham is a dangerous city, I would assume that a woman like yourself would know to never help a man in an alley…even if he is bleeding to death," he told her as she paused her tattoo and glanced up at him. Her eyes fell on the tattoo on the inside of his wrist and she cringed instantly.

"I assure you that it wasn't my choice to come to this city, I just moved here so pardon my carelessness," she shot back, "and that tattoo," she added pointing to the black pair of circles and red smile with her needle, "looks like the makeup he had on," she finalized giving Judas a warning glance upon realizing that his customer knew more than the average man.

The client grew silent upon hearing what she had just said. He knew is boss had been in a fix last night, and he had arrived at their hideout at dawn in a foul mood. He had mumbled something about receiving unwanted help when a goon pointed out the crimson stain on his clothes, and soon after shot the same man for asking such an absurd question.

"Was the man whom you helped wounded near his stomach?" Judas´ client asked before his mind could stop him as Monica grew nervous, she paused her work and tilted her head to look at the man.

"He was…" she confessed eyeing him cautiously, "why do you ask?" she added as the whole tattoo shop grew silent. Every single tattooer and client now interested in what the pair had been talking about.

"A…friend of mine walked in late last night with a wound like that mumbling about a woman who had helped him," he added telling a small lie. Of course his boss wasn't his friend; he would have killed him already had he known he was in a tattoo shop talking about his small midnight excursion.

"Well the man I helped was rather odd, and unless your friend had garish green hair and a fake scarred smile, I doubt were talking about the same man," she told him resuming her work as the goon sitting next to Judas resisted the urge to groan. He now knew who his boss had been ranting on about all morning.

"You´re right, wrong guy," the goon lied now anxious to leave the tattoo parlor already and inform his boss about his discovery.

The woman tattooing the biker across from him was truly clueless; anyone on Gotham could recognize the Joker. And yet she had the misfortune helping the clown prince of crime without knowing his history. Her recent change of city explained a lot, how could she have known of the Joker when she had moved days ago?

Monica eyed the man next to Judas wearily; she decided to brush it off. The sooner the clown fiasco was out of her life the sooner she could get back to her life. She blocked off everyone else and concentrated on finishing the current tattoo she was working on. She failed to notice when the goon finally left the shop eagerly, had she known where he was going she would have stopped him and tied him down to a chair to prevent what was coming.

Luck wasn't on her side that day.

As soon as he left the parlor he hurried down the street and got in a car that had been waiting for him, the driver glancing at him briefly before stepping on the gas and speeding away.

"You´ll never believe what I just found out," the man told the driver next to him. They drove down a lonely street before making a sharp turn towards the dangerous part of the city.

"What is so damn special that you can't even sit still, Felix?" the driver questioned looking the goon next to him who shifted with glee, a smile plastered on his face.

"I just found the woman who helped the boss last night," Felix replied proudly as the other goon slammed down on the breaks in surprise causing both of their bodies to lurch forward narrowly avoiding colliding with the dashboard.

"You what?" the goon asked in shock as the other grinned back eager to reach their destination to tell their boss.

"To top it all off, she doesn't even know who he is! She just moved here a couple of days ago…you know how it gets to Joker when people don't know who he is," Felix replied as the other goon nodded trying to grasp what the other had told him.

"Let's just get to the warehouse, the sooner he knows about this the better," the driver added as Felix nodded in agreement. Both men looking around to see if they were being followed before resuming the drive back to their current hideout.

The sun had set by the time they arrived; Gotham's criminals were barely starting to stir.

They parked the car outside of the warehouse and stepped out into the cold night air, both of them rushing inside only to be greeted by various guns pointed at them. They both froze and glanced at the goons surrounding them. Upon realizing that they were both working for the same man guns were lowered and tensions were eased.

The two men nodded to the group before heading deeper into the larger abandoned building looking for the clown prince of crime himself. Half an hour later they finally found the clown pacing around the meeting room, his brows furrowed in deep thought. His trench coat danced after him, and the only noise that was audible was the constant hit of his shoes against the harsh concrete floors.

"Uh, boss?" Felix asked before the man in question looked up, his gaze narrowing dangerously upon being disturbed.

"You better have a good reason for me to, uh, not cut you up into pieces right now," he told the two men standing nervously in the doorway. He was pleased with himself upon seeing their frames shake slightly.

Good.

He wanted them to be afraid of him, he had killed two of his best goons last night to prove a point, and he would do it again if his men were not afraid of him. He didn't want any of them to think that by working for him, they were safe from is wrath. On the contrary, they were more likely to get killed sooner or later if they got on his bad side.

"We found the girl, boss," the taller of the two stuttered as his brow rose in curiosity, upon seeing this the man continued, "she works at a tattoo shop in the city," he finalized as the Joker turned his back on them, a satisfied smile spreading across his already permanent scarred one contorting his features maniacally.

"Perfect, we´ll be paying her a visit today boys!" he exclaimed turning to face them causing both men to jump in shock and surprise upon seeing him change moods so quickly, "for your sakes this better be the right person," he added dismissing them with a wave of his hand before turning his back on them once more.

They scrambled out of the room to get everything ready for him.

The Joker hummed in content fingering the knife in his pocket gleefully, "time to properly introduce myself," he whispered running his tongue over his bottom lip before clicking his tongue.

He exited the room with a slight skip; the last sounds that his goons heard before diving out of his way were his resounding footsteps and the chilling laugh that tore through the warehouse.

People were going to die tonight.

**Review! Let me know if you would like to see something in the story or if you have any ideas for it my dears, Im always open to them :D Seriously review, so many added it to alert, and yet so little, yet precious, reviews! **


	4. Circus

**Circus**

**A\N: Well, I dont have to say much this time so I'll leave you to read! Im glad so many of you like it so far, enjoy!**

**Side note to some:**

**Lizzie: I couldnt agree with you more, I hate fics that immediatly have the OC get along with the Joker or visa versa. It just seems wrong since he's such a complex character to understand and write for! I cant begin to fathom what the author must have though when they have the OC and the Joker fall in love in the first chapter and understand eachother just like that...it seems so wrong. If any of them saw the Joker they would run away screaming not into his arms yelling "Take me with you!" well...perhaps I would XD I appreciate the review, let me know if my OC sounds to Mary-Sueish or if Im doing fine lmao I'll be looking forward to your reviews! :D**

**My Purple Skies: Now that you mention it...they are named after Bible people XD I didnt do it on purpose but now that I analyze it well, I realize that their names will have importance in the story, so you have a sharp eye for that my dear! Im proud to have a reviewer and reader like you :D Hope this chapter is to your liking**!

**Oh and something else! The story about his scars dosent belong to me a friend suggested it to me so if you know who it belongs to originally let me know so I can credit them! I dont want to look like Im ripping someone off! **

**Enjoy!**

"_Would you mind if I hurt you?_

_Understand that I need to…_

_Wish that I had other choices,_

_Than to harm the one I love…_

_What have you done now?_

_Would you mind if I killed you?_

_Would you mind if I tried to?_

_Cause you have turned into my worst enemy,_

_You carry hate that I don't feel,_

_It's over now…_

_What have you done?"_

-Within Temptation

Monica leaned back into her chair and glanced at the clock with tired eyes. It read 11:30, much too early to even think of closing up shop. She sighed and dropped her head trying to ease the sore muscles in her neck. Her eyes closed briefly before opening up as the scent of a freshly lit cigarette reached her nose.

She scowled and turned her chair to the source of the annoyance with a disgusted look on her expression. Judas smirked back blowing out the smoke form the cancerous stick through his nose making sure to drag it out as much as possible.

"Have I ever told you that you remind me of Lucifer when you do that?" Monica asked scrunching up her nose as the scent hit her. He nodded back as a smirk spread through is features earing a blush out of her. She rolled her eyes and turned away before he could see and resumed the rose she was tattooing on a female biker.

"He's quite a catch isn't he?" her customer added as Judas continued to smoke calmly glancing every now and then at Monica. Her client poking her head over her shoulder every now and then to catch a glimpse of Judas.

"Sometimes I wonder why I hired him," Monica replied back although she too thought he was rather good looking. Of course she would never admit it, although she was damn sure he knew by now.

"Are you almost done with that? I was thinking we could go somewhere tonight," Judas murmured over her shoulder earning himself a startled jump from her. She sneered before turning to face him, her eye nearly twitching.

"I could have messed up!" she yelled at him thankful that her needle wasn't anywhere near the skin of the woman in front of her when she was disrupted. He smirked back blowing the smoke in her face as she frowned at him. His smirk dropped upon seeing her upset, he brought up his black gloved hand and waved the contaminated air away from her before straightening up once more.

He moved behind her and examined her tattoo, when it came to black and white and portraits she was one force to be reckoned with, and this rose was no different. It looked exactly like the picture the woman had brought in for reference.

He ran a hand through his spiked hair before tracing his jaw slowly in thought, his head tilted to the side while his eyes continued to watch her every move. Monica sighed knowing he was watching and tried her best in blocking him out. It was hard to say the least since her client kept watching him with a dazed look.

"Judas, please," she begged dropping the needle with another irritated sigh. He smiled knowing he had gotten to her, before reaching down with his hand to caress her cheek from behind. She leaned into his touch briefly before remembering she had a job to finish, she shook off any thoughts related to the man behind her and resumed her meticulous tattoo.

"Anything for you, babe," he chuckled before removing his hand in one swift movement. She resumed tattooing before Viktor turned the TV on. He sat in his own chair due to the lack of customers; after all it was a Monday night. He tossed the control aside leaving what was one out of boredom, and realized it was Gotham's news channel. The reporter stood in front of a bank broadcasting the robbery that had occurred moments ago.

He rolled his eyes and turned to Judas who walked over to his own chair and sat on it as well, "Get a load of this shit, it was probably some amateur," Viktor laughed before another more chilling cackle drowned out his own.

All eyes shot to the entrance of the tattoo parlor, the little customers that they had all knew who it was by the garish green hair and purple outfit. Monica's jaw nearly dropped open upon realizing it was the man she had helped a day ago.

He seemed to be knocking on death's door hours ago, and now he stood in her shop's entrance with several other men in clown masks behind him. Her customers all became quite nervous much to her interest; she couldn't fathom why a man in clown makeup caused such a reaction out of full grown men and women.

"Ah! I see you, uh, know of my latest trip to the bank," he chuckled lightly stepping into the shop as Monica remained seated amazed that the man still wore his makeup despite the fact that Halloween had already passed. No sooner had he stepped in the other men behind him followed suit with guns at the ready pointed at each of her tattooers.

"Hey, what's your problem?" she asked standing ignoring completely the reports on the TV which flashed pictures of the Joker as Gotham's most dangerous and wanted criminal. He stalked over to her having had enough of her cluelessness as his purple gloved hand seized her arm harshly and pulled her to him.

"Ya' know, it bothers me that one one's told ya' who I am," he growled into her ear as she let out a small groan of pain as the pressure he applied increased. Judas making a move to stop the man only to get a gun pointed at his face by another goon.

The Joker spun the woman in his grip to face the TV and took his other free hand to seize her face and force her to look. Her eyes widened in fear once she saw all of the reports on the TV, how could she have been so stupid. Fear started to creep in as they started to show pictures of all of his victims, and all of the crimes he had committed. Her eyes darted sideways to catch a glimpse of the clown holding her, a sadistic smile on his expression meeting her eye as she shivered in horror.

"I see you're getting the picture, beautiful," he whispered into her ear, by this time her body was completely paralyzed under his grip. How could she have known she was helping a criminal? Now that she knew she would have left him there to die, she should have left him…

"Please don't squeeze so tight," she begged trying to squirm out of his iron grip. The clown prince of crime only increased the pressure upon hearing her request earing himself a cry from the woman in his grasp.

"Stop it," Judas growled over to him about to pounce on the clown only to receive several machine guns pointed at him. He held back another growl as his hand clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white as his nostrils flared dangerously upon seeing Monica in such a predicament. He hated himself for not being able to help her.

"I bet you're regretting ever helping me," the Joker whispered to her as she cringed upon feeling his breath so close to her skin. She shuddered again and tried to shake her arm away from him as he let loose another chuckle at her useless struggle, "shh, relax beautiful, I just wanted to thank you," he added pulling out a knife from his pocked while clicking it open.

She looked around for anything to help her escape of her captor; she was greeted with the horrified faces of her customers and the outraged expressions from her tattooers who were all surrounded by the clown's goons. Her chair with the needle resting on the arm rest caught her attention, if she could only reach it…

Before she could even reach for it he pressed the knife up against her cheek, the cold metal causing her to freeze as he ran it down to the corner of her lips gently. Her horrified eyes locked on the metal, if he wanted to he could kill her right now, and yet he was dragging out the inevitable.

"Ya' wanna know how I got these scars?" he asked her running his tongue over his bottom lip slowly eyeing her expression as it turned to panic once more, she knew where this as headed…good.

"So I knew this woman, beautiful like you, when I worked at the circus…juggling knives was my act if I remember correctly," he told her pressing the knife harder against her skin in case she tired anything, "and we fell in love," he chuckled to himself his eyes shining with amusement as she gulped.

"Only…her father didn't approve any of it, he hated me," he growled into her ear as she flinched away from him cutting herself in the process as a little trickle of blood ran down her wounded lip. "So, one night when I'm up on the stage, he switches the fake knives with real ones," he added, his eyes taking a darker tone as he resisted the urge simply kill her already, "you can imagine what happened when it came time to catch them with my mouth," he laughed smacking her cheek as if to prove a point, "there was blood everywhere, and the show was canceled," he continued tracing the scars on the inside of his mouth.

"Ya' wanna know the real tragedy of all this? When I wake up in a hospital…she's gone," he snarled dragging Monica slowly away from the crowd in her tattoo parlor, "and when I do find her, she's already with another man," he told her in a deeper voice than his usual high pitch speaking pattern. "I went through all of that…and she can't stand the sight of me anymore."

Monica glanced back at him, if only once feeling somewhat sorry for him. But then again she didn't know if he was telling the truth or deceiving her. She could only imagine how horrified he must have been when he realized the knives had been real, but she felt sorry for him when he found the girl he loved only to realize she was with another already.

She remained quiet as he ordered his goons to move away from the rest of the people in the parlor and to head outside to get the car ready.

"It's been a fun evening ladies and gentlemen, but I'm afraid I must bid you adieu!" he barked right into her ear as she flinched in horror realizing he hadn't let her go yet. She begged silently that he wasn't planning on taking her with him. Much to her terror she realized that was what he had been planning the whole time as he kicked the door to her tattoo shop open and dragged her along with him.

"I suggest you all run for you lives, this place is ready to go boom in about a minute!" he cackled before letting the door slam behind him picking Monica up from her waist and carrying her over to the truck that was waiting for him. She kicked and struggled the whole way to no avail as he tossed her into the arms of one of his goons and stepped in after her ordering the driver to leave.

Monica struggled against the man desperately before the Joker walked over to her and took her face into one of his hands once more forcing her to look out of the back window, "We wouldn't want ya' to miss the fireworks!" he laughed as her as her eyes widened before the parlor she had worked so hard in obtaining blew sky high. The fire engulfed all of her life's work; she couldn't hold back the tears that fell down her cheeks silently.

She merely hopped everyone had managed to get out in time, but now her top priority was to survive the ride to wherever the clown prince of crime was taking her.

Why couldn't she have just let him die that night…?

**Review! Comments, suggestions, questions, throw em' at me! **


	5. Mine

**Mine.**

**A\N: Just a quick chappie, not my best so bare with me. I promise the next will be better! Enjoy!**

The Joker looked out of the window only to be greeted with the flames that rose following the explosion. A smile graced his deformed lips as he watched the woman next to him break. A silver tear ran down her cheek as she continued to look out of the back window, her view however was cut off when the driver gave a sharp turn causing her body to lurch sideways.

She crashed into another goon who dropped his gun in the process of catching her, her horrified eyes shot up to look at the man who was holding her. She was met with the most intriguing pair of grey eyes she had ever seen, the owner of said eyes was rather good looking, that was until her eyes landed on the tattoo placed on his neck.

The two scribbled black eyes and the red smile poked out of his black shirt, it reminded her of the clown a few feet away from her. Her eyes darted over to him carefully; he was fixated on the window, that was until she moved to get away from the goon who was holding her.

His piercing gaze shot to her and she was left paralyzed under it. He smiled innocently at her, well, as innocently as he could with the scars twisting his smile. She in turn frowned back; she risked a glance outside of the window only to glimpse tall buildings before her attention was brought back to the clown.

"Boss, where do you want me to go?" the driver asked glancing back at the Joker who in turn never broke eye contact with Monica. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, a wrong move or word could end her life.

"Where do you live?" the Joker asked quite calmly as Monica resisted the urge to drop her jaw. The man in front of her was talking to her as if they had known each other for years and as if he wasn't a criminal. She kept her mouth shut; the last thing she wanted was a psychopathic clown to know where she lived.

"Cat got your tongue, beautiful?" he cackled causing her to jump at the high pitched laughter. She glanced at the door next to the goon she was familiar with only to realize it was locked, any attempt to get out would result in her death.

The same goon from before gave her a light shove with his elbow clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. She glanced at the Joker once more, she could barely maintain five seconds of eye contact with him, and he refused to look away.

"So I see you, uh, work at a tattoo shop," the clown added catching her attention. That was a low hit and he knew it. Her eyes stared at him briefly before dropping back down, such a shame; he had hoped she would say something.

"I don't work there anymore," she mumbled looking discreetly the door to the truck once more. She was considering lunging at it and trying to escape, she didn't have anything to lose anyway.

The Joker smiled despite himself, good, he had her attention, "Oh? And, why not?" he asked sadistically knowing she held the parlor close to her heart. Her lip curled into a snarl as her eyes shot up to look at his. Damn it all to hell, if she was going to get killed she might as well tell him what he thought of him.

"You blew it up, you bastard!" she snapped before a knife was pressed up to her neck. She blinked briefly before recognizing the twisted red smile inches from her face, she had never seen anyone move as fast as the clown before her did.

"That wasn't very polite of you, doll," he snarled at her pressing the knife up against her skin with more pressure. She backed away from him fearfully until her back connected with the door to the truck. She had run out of places to run, surely this would be her end. She should have kept her mouth shut, but it was infuriating for him to speak of her life's work in such a manner.

The Joker followed her slow movements with his knife at her neck; his eyes darted behind her to notice that the particular door she was leaning up against was unlocked. The smile returned to his face forgetting the previous insult that she had thrown at him.

"Consider this a re-pay-ment," he whispered into her ear pressing the knife against her skin with more force causing her to squirm in her place, accidentally bumping her cheek with his. The scars felt foreign against her skin causing shivers to run up her spine in disgust, the Joker on the other hand seemed to pay little to no attention on the incident.

He was however, fully aware of the contact he had just had with the woman in front of him, "A life for a life," he whispered smiling glancing out of the window above her head. He didn't see any car headlights behind them, he then returned his gaze to her. "You'll see me again," he told her as his gloved hand wrapped around the handle of the door behind her, he took his other hand and ran the knife gently down her neck applying pressure drawing a fine line of blood as she whimpered at the unexpected pain.

He analyzed the mark he had left pleased with how the bloody letter looked against her pale skin. His eyes locked with her fearful orbs, he was pleased with himself to say the least. She was interesting to him, and he was in need of a new puppet to break, she would prove to be the perfect little doll to toss around and manipulate.

He had looked into her records as well as her family's to see if there was anything that stood out or made them special. He didn't find anything, until he came to her bother. He had moved with her to Gotham and seemed to be rising in rank at an alarming rate in the police force.

That was the reason he had found it in himself to pursue her, the sooner he broke her the sooner he got to her brother. Harvey Dent had proved to be a boring puppet, he had gotten himself killed by the Bat much too quickly. Gotham needed a new crisis to rise up, something grand. The Joker grew restless as months went by without any of the other criminals making a move to do anything, the fools all feared him. This was his city after all, and the midnight brawls with the Bat were getting to be predictable and boring, he needed a change.

"I'll be seeing you soon," he whispered to her snapping out of his thoughts breathing in her scent slowly before breathing it out at an even slower rate. His hot breath teased her ear causing her to flinch away from him. She saw his body tense; she had a feeling that wasn't good. She had no time to react to what he did next.

"Bye-bye, beautiful!" he laughed causing her to jump just before he opened the door, she tried to hold on to him in panic but found herself falling backwards into the cold unforgiving pavement.

His piercing laughter filled her ears as she groaned and tried to move. Thank god the streets had been empty. She managed to pick her head up just as the clown slammed the door shut laughing still before the van rounded another corner disappearing from sight.

She winced as she tried to get up; she failed the first time as her arms gave out beneath her but managed to sit up the second time. She looked her exposed arms over; they were scratched and in some places bruised. She guessed that was where the clown had grabbed her before, she looked around only to notice she was in her neighborhood…how could he have known?

She picked herself up fearing he would change his mind about letting her live as she limped towards her house The cut near her neck stung uncomfortably, she wondered what he had so eagerly cut into her skin. She pushed the thought away and bit her bottom lip as she reached her house uttering a sigh of relief. She closed the door behind her thankful to be away from the harsh autumn wind and pulled a scarf from her coat hanger around her neck.

She started to walk towards her bathroom when she heard someone behind her. She panicked thinking it was the Joker and turned around quickly only to be greeted with the familiar sight of the tattooer she had worked with for so long.

"Judas!" she exclaimed tears coming to her eyes upon seeing him alive and well. She ran into his arms as he held her close to him. He caressed her hair thankful to have her back unharmed before she pulled away from him.

"Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?" Judas asked looing her over briefly. He caught a sight of the bruises on her arms and frowned, other than that she seemed to be fine.

"I'm fine, just a little shook up," she told him before the grip on her waist increased slightly. She stared up at him in a relieved manner.

"Are you sure?" he asked protectively. God how she missed the man holding her close, she couldn't picture her life without him.

"Extremely," she replied kissing his cheek before he let go of her still unsure of her reply, "listen I'm going to take a quick shower I'll be down in a bit, and if my brother calls…don't tell him," she begged Judas as he rose a brow at her, "I know he's bound to find out, I'll be surprised if it isn't in the news by tomorrow, just let me rest for a while," she explained as he nodded and let her go.

"I'll wait for you down here then," Judas told her as she nodded back. He stared at her retreating form and sighed before heading back to her living room to wait for her.

She walked into her bathroom tiredly closing the door behind her with a sigh before she removed the scarf she had around her neck. She stared at her reflection grimly, the crimson 'J' stared back at her, the blood barely starting to clot. She frowned at the letter; he had marked her as his, as if she was some sort of property.

"What did I get myself into?" she asked herself before removing the rest of her clothes and stepping into the hot shower. She washed away the small trickle of blood that had run down her chest and rubbed the bruises on her arms and waist painfully.

She hoped the Joker didn't keep his word, she hoped she would never see him again. Before she could even turn off the shower she heard the door downstairs slam shut, she winced knowing by now who it was.

"What do you mean she just got here? I have half of Gotham looking for her!" her brother's voice thundered. She winced stepping out of the shower while reaching for a towel to dry herself.

She took in a deep breath before opening the door preparing herself for the never-ending lecture that would follow; surely she would be followed around by bodyguards knowing her brother. She sighed as she stepped out of the bathroom, she stepped back once she noted her brother dressed in his uniform leaning on the doorway into her room.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," he told her trying to sound angered, the feeling left as soon as it came once he saw the cut on her neck and the bruises on her arms. He was grateful to have his sister back alive, although he would make it hell for the one they called 'Joker'.

No one messed with his family, he didn't care if he was a dangerous criminal or a mob boss, he would find him and make him pay.

All he needed to do was wait, after all…how could he elude capture when the whole city was looking for him?

Monica sighed and watched as her brother tossed aside the gun strapped to his waist and stared at her expectantly.

"Dante, I don't want to talk about it right now, could you please let me sleep before you start to attack me with questions?" she told him as he stared at her intently. She had been through a lot, that being said he nodded and turned to leave.

She sat down on her bed and looked down at the gun her brother hand left behind. She reached down to trace the trigger before a large shadow settled over her. She closed her eyes knowing it wasn't her brother or Judas.

She slowly turned her head around to see a man dressed in black with a matching cowl disguising his identity. She was new to the city so how could she have known that it was Gotham's dark knight?

She screamed and took the closest thing she could reach to hit him. Her hand closed around something solid and brought it up to hit the masked man. She nearly face palmed when she noticed she had just hit the intruder with her pillow.

Dante and Judas both burst into the room to find her on her bed covered in her towel still with a pillow in her hand staring bewildered at the stoic man in front of her.

"What are you doing? That's Batman!" her brother exclaimed taking the pillow from her hand in case she thought of hitting the caped crusader once more.

"Bat-who?" she asked confused as Dante sighed in disbelief. He could see why she had gotten herself kidnaped within the first week of moving to Gotham.

"I can see you have done a disgraceful job in explaining where she moved to, I can see why she got herself kidnapped," the man in front of her scolded, his eyes burning holes into her brother.

She sat in between the two, her hair dripping wet, covered in nothing but a towel…what had she done to deserve such punishment?

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	6. I Despise You

**I Despise You...**

**A/N: Short little filler, not my best so bare with me on this one. Next one should be better and perhaps a bit longer. Enjoy!**

Leaves fell around Monica as she stood in front of her now burned tattoo parlor with Judas and the other tattooers by her side. Thankfully they had all made it out in time and only a few bore scars from the incident, but now as she stood in front of the destroyed building the memories of that night came rushing back.

She walked over to the charred building and crouched running a hand through the ashes picking some up in the process. She heard the clown's laughter in her head and held back a shudder as she let the ash fall, she would not remember the Joker.

She cleared her thoughts and turned to look at her tattooers who all stood behind her waiting for her to say something.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she told them pulling her jacket around her small frame tighter due to the wind picking up wiping her hair everywhere. Why she had chosen today of all days to let it down was beyond her comprehension.

"Look boss, we know it wasn't your fault," Gabriel started stepping forward while pulling something out of his pocket. Monica stared dumbfounded at a black envelope that he was holding out to her, "it's the most we could put together, it should be enough to get another shop back up and running," he told her as she opened it and peeked inside.

Sure enough hundred dollar bills stared back at her as she closed the envelope and tried to give it back.

"I'm not going to take the money that you all earned," she told them as several of her men looked down while others never broke eye contact.

"Babe, most of us were in deep with some rather unscrupulous characters, no one would have ever thought of giving us a chance, but you did," Viktor told her as the others nodded, "the least we can do is offer you this, it's our way of paying you back," he added watching her intently. It was true; half of the men working with her had been in prison before or gotten in some scraps with the law.

She didn't believe it was fair to deny someone merely because of what they had done. She had handpicked her tattooers knowing that they wanted a second chance desperately; she didn't care if they had been in trouble in the past, nor did she care about their records.

The men around her all had talent, that much she was sure of.

"Just take it, we all owe it to you," Judas told her as she sighed and glared at him. She would have expected him to be on her side, so much for that.

"You are all bastards," she told them, her vision starting to blur due to the tears that were pooling at her eyes. She stared at all of them with pride; she never would have thought that they would do something like that for her.

Gabriel walked over to her and hugged her, "yeah…but we're your bastards," he whispered into her ear as she laughed and hugged him back. He pulled away as two cop cars pulled up next to them causing half of the men to groan.

Judas tensed and looked over at Monica before warning Gabriel with a look. Gabriel in turn nodded and put an arm around Monica making sure to pull her close in case a fight broke out. After all, most of the men there didn't exactly get along with any type of authority, and it would certainly cause an uproar if they were there for her.

Two cops stepped out and walked cautiously over to them eyeing the men as they passed by them.

"Your brother sent us," one of the cops snapped to her as Judas glared warningly catching the cop's attention.

"He wants you to be ready by 7, you will be attending an event with him this evening," the second added noticing his partner was busy picking fights with another man larger than himself.

Monica opened her mouth to protest before the cop cut her off, "he expects you to attend with him, he will not take no for an answer," he added making her bite her tongue. She hated her brother sometimes, he knew how much she hated mingling with people and yet there he was forcing her to go to an event.

Glorious.

"Tell my brother that he can come and tell me himself next time, now please leave," she told him politely, "and take your partner with you," she added with a little bit of panic in her voice as she watched the other cop size Judas up.

Now of course Judas towered over the other man, and he would probably win in a fight but at the moment she didn't feel like dealing with that type of situation. She needed some time to prepare for the event to take her mind off of things.

She glanced down at the envelope and stuffed it into her jacket making a mental note to call and see available lots for her new parlor tomorrow. The sooner she got her tattoo business up and running the sooner her tattooers could go back to doing what they loved most.

She heard the cop thrown an insult at Judas and quickly moved forwards to stop the pair before it grew worse after seeing the other cop stare at his partner and do nothing.

"You got a bark boy, but do ya' have a bite?" Judas snarled at him clenching his fists ready to put the boy in front of him in the hospital for speaking to him in such a manner.

Monica stepped in front of him causing Judas to ease immediately not wanting to risk hurting her as she stared at the cop in amazement. She had never witnessed a cop act so recklessly, but as she got a better look at him she understood why he was ready to jump into anything.

He was young, younger than Judas for sure. She resisted the urge to laugh, her brother had been young as well when he started at the police force, and more reckless than the boy in front of her. Perhaps that's why he spent half of his career in the hospital.

"Listen, you're no longer needed here," she told him calmly trying to save the young cop from the beating of a lifetime as she felt Judas growl from behind her.

She threw a glare at him before turning towards the cop who left with a huff following his partner. The two got into their cars and drove off easing the tension that had settled over the group.

"Stop scaring people like that," she snapped when they had finally left turning towards the man behind her. Judas merely clenched his jaw unhappy with the fact that he had let the brat off the hook so easily.

"Boss, you can leave we'll clean this mess up for you, you have to go to that party with your brother remember?" Viktor told her as she grimaced and nodded. She had hoped to get out of it, but as she thought it through there was no way to avoid going.

"I'm sorry I have to leave so soon, I'll give you all a call when I get a new place," she told them as they all nodded and proceeded to clean the mess that the fire department had left behind. She turned to Judas and sighed. "What am I going to do with you, you should think about changing that temper of yours," she told him caressing his cheek as he finally forgot about the cop and glanced down at her.

"Tigers don't change their stripes, honey," he told her taking his hand and placing it over hers as he leaned down and captured her lips. She kissed him back forgetting everything and everyone unaware of the goon watching the pair from the corner of the street they were on.

The goon sneered knowing his boss wouldn't like what he was seeing…not. one. bit.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride," Judas offered breaking the kiss while motioning over to his motorcycle as her face lit up. He knew how much she loved riding with him around this time of year when the fall leaves were still falling and the weather wasn't too hot or too cold.

She nodded and walked along side Judas as he pulled her closer to him, the goon never taking his eyes away from them. He took a long drag from the cigarette he was smoking and watched as they rode right by him. He breathed the smoke out through his nose slowly before tossing the cigarette into the streets and heading back to inform the boss of his findings.

He had a feeling Joker wouldn't be too happy about what he had to say, nevertheless he had to tell him what he had just seen.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Monica waited impatiently by the door expecting her brother to come by any moment apologizing for being late…again. It was no shocker to her; the man could never find it in himself to arrive on time to anything, even if his life depended on it.

She glanced down at her dress and frowned realizing the color she had worn.

Purple.

Up till yesterday she had loved the color, now she despised it. She turned to go and change before her brother pulled up to the drive way. Her face dropped realizing she was now stuck in the infernal dress for the rest of the night as she headed outside.

Her heels clicked harshly against the pavement as she opened the door of the black Mustang and settled down inside of it with a sigh. This was going to be a long night.

Her brother turned to look at her with a sheepish grin knowing she was fuming before she smacked his arm out of anger.

"Dante, were already late!" she scolded as he continued to grin and pulled out of the driveway and headed downtown.

The drive there was silent, neither speaking a word. Monica kept glancing at herself in the mirror and at the awful dress she was wearing hoping the garment would burst into flames with the look she was giving it.

Much to her dismay it remained intact as they arrived at their destination. She stepped outside of the car grimly as her brother took her arm and walked her into the large building. By the looks of it whoever was hosting the party was filthy rich, something that made Monica's mood drop even more. She hated the upper class; they thought themselves superior in everything which wasn't true.

They entered the large room filled with countless people, Gotham's aristocrats and police force amongst some of the crowd.

Monica sighed once more and held on to her brother's arm not planning on leaving his side, already she could feel the criticizing stares from several women and men.

"I hate you," she whispered to her brother as he dragged her around introducing her to his coworkers and some other important characters that she paid little to no attention to.

"This is Bruce Wayne, one of Gotham's finest bachelors," her brother's voice told her as she completely ignored the man she was being presented to. She didn't care about Benny, or whatever his name was. All she wanted was to leave already, she felt out of place amongst such a rich crowd. She stared worriedly at the doors wanting to make a run for it when a hand took one of her own.

Her startled chocolate eyes met with the fiery blue that belonged to Bill…or whatever his name was. She silently cursed herself for not listening to her brother; she just hoped the stranger wouldn't notice the lack of attention she had been paying to him.

The man rose her hand to his lips and planted a kiss on it before releasing it, "Pleasure to meet you at last, your brother has spoken a lot about you," he told her as her face grew red. She had to reply back by the look her brother was giving her, problem was…she didn't remember the man's name.

"The pleasure is all mine Mr…" she started before the man in front of her smiled causing her to nearly faint, so he had noticed her lack of attention.

"Bruce, just call me Bruce," he told her waving the incident off as she sighed slightly, "I hear you were the one who was abducted a day ago, I am glad to see you are well," he told her as she smiled back politely.

There was something oddly familiar about the man, but she couldn't place it. She was sure she had seen those eyes somewhere before, but where? His voice sounded awfully familiar as well…

"Yes, that was me," she told him as the memories of the psychopathic clown resurfaced. She remembered the lecture she had gotten from her brother and the so called 'Batman', Gotham's vigilante. She had hoped to clear them from her mind, obviously that was not going to be the case.

Several other people had overheard and walked over to her now interested in the conversation as the man she had just met threw her an apologizing look. She could see why he was one of Gotham's most sought after bachelors, a man like him could make any woman fall to his feet.

She sighed as people started to ask question, at the rate they were going the whole party would find out she had been the Joker's victim.

Yes, this was going to be a long night indeed…

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	7. At All Costs

**At All Costs...**

**A/N: It feels like age's since I've updated this...but here it is! Enjoy! **

"Dante don't exaggerate, I dont need guards! I'm just going to the job interview it's not like I'm going to get kidnapped on the way there!" Monica argued tossing her bag aside as she stormed around her room her brother right behind her.

"I don't want to risk it, you're all I have left," he shot back as she sighed and sat down on her bed in defeat. Her brother was right, they had each other and no one else, she couldn't go and get herself kidnapped again and risk losing her life.

"I don't see why I have to go," she murmured as he sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She sighed and leaned into him for support as he too sighed with discontent.

"It seems like we're going to be here for a while, you said it yourself, you wanted a job," he told her as she picked her head up and sneered at him playfully.

"Not with Bruce Wayne," she told him frowning when she remembered the playboy that owned the company. Her brother laughed and stood up upon hearing her enthusiasm.

"It's a good opportunity for you two to get to know each other, I set this up so don't make me look bad," he told her giving her a warning look as she too stood up and walked over to her closet and opened the door with a grin on her face.

"I can't make any guarantees," she told him as he sighed heavily behind her. His gaze burned holes into her back as she grabbed her jacket and looked at him expectantly.

"The two bodyguards are still going with you," he told her as she nodded and proceeded to going outside. He led her towards his black Lamborghini and nodded as the two guards who were in the front seats bowed their heads in acknowledgement.

"I'm going to be at work for a while, don't wait up for me," he told her just before shutting the door giving her no chance to answer back. He knew she would have protested upon having him work for so long, but he was hell-bent on catching the clown that had kidnapped her.

"Where to, mademoiselle?" the driver asked as she sighed and looked out of the window.

"Wayne Enterprises," she replied as the driver nodded and stepped on the gas causing the car to roar to a start as she looked down at her lap.

It had been over a month since she had last seen or heard anything of the clown and she intended to keep it that way. Dante was always out late looking for any leads to the Joker's hideout only to come up empty handed at the end of the day.

No one would give him information, they intended to keep their lives, crossing the Joker was like signing your own death warrant.

The drive was uneventful as she leaned back into the leather seat and looked outside of the window. Much to her delight it had started to snow, the white flakes fell from the sky calmly as she smiled despite everything that had happened. She loved winter and the fact that it was snowing in large amounts only added to her joy.

"Look out the window, third car behind us…its been following us for a while," the man in the passenger's seat commented as the driver's eyes shot to the rearview mirror and narrowed slightly. Monica eyeing the car as well as her skin paled considerably once she noticed it was a black van.

Memories of the night she had been taken away from her tattoo parlor rose up as she panicked and backed away from the window out of pure instinct. They continued to drive at a faster rate through the streets of Gotham, before any of them could notice they ended up on the poor side of the city where there were rarely any cars or people outside.

"The damn bastards don't let up," the driver snarled turning sharply as the van mimicked the motion and increased speed drastically.

The other guard who sat in the passenger's seat reached down underneath the seat and pulled out an AK-47 much to Monica's horror as he lowered the window and positioned himself so he could get a clear shot at the tires of the vehicle behind them.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of this," the driver told her reaching for his cellphone as he dialed in some numbers and put it on speaker.

Monica nearly hit her head on the roof of the car when the guard with the gun let loose a stream of bullets hitting the tires of the van successfully. The van screeched to a halt and skidded slightly before the goons stepped out jeering at them much to their confusion as they continued to drive away.

"We need reinforcements, we ran into some trouble-"the guard managed to say before another van slammed into them at full speed causing the Lamborghini to skid to the side before flipping over various times. It slammed into a nearby wall and stopped in an upside down position as the wheels continued to spin in the air, gas came out from under the hood as everyone inside remained hung upside down.

The goons that had crashed into them stepped out of the van shakily before walking over to the wreck that remained of the once prestigious car. The shattered glass cracked under their boots as they approached the car with caution as the other goons that had been down the road left their van and rushed over to see the damage.

"You hit them too hard, idiot!" one of the goons growled out as several others nodded in agreement. They all crowded around the car and crouched to inspect the passengers who remained unmoving.

"If the boss finds out about this he'll be pissed," another whispered fearfully upon seeing the woman they were supposed to retrieve bleeding from the side of her head while her black hair covered the rest of her face as she hung upside down being held up by the seatbelt only.

"You don't think we killed her do you?" another asked horrified as several goons started to shift uncomfortably in their places praying that they had not failed their boss. There would be hell to pay if she was dead.

"Move over, she will be dead if we don't pull her out from that car," Felix barked at them as he stepped forward and crouched to see what had been done. He turned to see the other men crowded around him with nervous expressions as he reached in and unbuckled Monica while holding her head as her body crashed down with a dull thud.

"If she wasn't dead before that did the trick," a goon commented as others face palmed and stepped away to relive the tension as Felix pulled the woman out from under the car for all of them to see.

"Is she dead?" one of them asked as Felix brushed aside the mass of bloodied hair from her face revealing a nasty cut on the side of her forehead and another on her bottom lip. He grimaced once he noticed her nose was broken and oozing out blood before analyzing the rest of her body.

She had several cuts and bruises scattered along her body but nothing too serious until his eyes landed on her lower stomach where a large shard of glass had imbedded itself. His face paled upon realizing the amount of blood she was losing as he pulled her close to him and looked around to see several men joking amongst themselves amusing she was alive.

"I am going to laugh when you have to explain to the boss why you were responsible for her death," he warned them as they snickered at him assuming she was fine.

"She's alive, why should we have to tell him anything?" one of them called from the back as several others nodded in agreement and laughed.

"She won't be alive for long you idiots!" he snarled back as he pointed towards the shard that remained imbedded in her tainted with scarlet. The rejoicing that they had felt before instantly died as several goons rushed over to the remaining van that they had and helped Felix carry her in while others remained behind to take care of the two guards and the cars that had been wrecked.

"Pray that the boss isn't there when we arrive, how could you be so stupid? Whose idea was it to ram into them?" Felix barked as the goons in the van looked down avoiding eye contact with him before they heard two shots in the distance.

Felix looked out the window knowing the guards that had been with the woman in his arms were dead. He glanced down at her unmoving body and shifted when he felt her blood ooze onto his hands.

He glanced at a nearby goon who got the message and shouted at the driver to go faster as they raced through the streets of Gotham passing red lights without causing any accidents much to their disbelief.

Felix grimaced when he looked down at the woman he was holding and tried to tame her hair back into place but decided otherwise when the blood matted it and made it harder to move. He sighed in relief once he heard the goon up front inform them that they had arrived at the hideout.

They all remained motionless however when the van finally stopped.

"What are you waiting for, someone go check to see if Joker is here and help me get her out," Felix told them as half of the goons stumbled out of the van to see if their boss was there while the remaining few opened the back doors and helped Felix carry Monica while trying not to move her and upset the wounds that she had.

Blood dripped down from her fingers and waist much to Felix's predicament as he stared grimly at the bloody trail and continued to carry her into the warehouse that they were currently using as a hideout.

A goon rushed up to them informing them that Joker was currently out in the city with the rest of the goons as the ones that were present uttered a silent prayer for the weight that had been lifted off of their shoulders.

They carried her into the warehouse and headed deeper in as they descended the stairs into the lower levels and carried her into the nearest room with a large table before clearing it and setting her down on it.

"I want half of you to go and clean up the trail of blood leading down here and the remaining half to clean the van," Felix told them knowing the rest of the goons were too scared of their boss to do anything without being told.

"Fleur, I want you to go and fetch the Doc for me," he told the goon in question as he nodded and ran out of the room followed by the rest of the men.

Felix looked down at Monica in dismay; if the Joker were to arrive and see what they had done to his chess piece he would most likely murder everyone within the warehouse and half of Gotham for ruining his plan.

He managed to brush away all of the bloodied pieces of hair from the woman's face and sighed in regret once he got a good look at her. She didn't deserve this; she seemed much too innocent for this type of lifestyle. He had to kill people for a living without even thinking of their families, their lives…

He was brought back down to reality when Fleur and their doctor came into the room with grim expressions.

"Whatever you have to do, do it," he told their doctor as he nodded with a blank expression and moved forward to examine the damage and grimaced when he took note of the large shard that cut into her lower stomach.

"This is not going to be easy, I don't think she'll make it through this without proper care," he told the pair of men who stood in front of him. Failing wasn't an option, not when it involved the Joker anyway.

"Just make sure she lives through this, I don't care what you need…just save her for all our sakes," he told the doctor who nodded and proceeded to treat her.

He was about to remove the shard when a large crash from upstairs caused the three to jump as his hand tilted the shard slightly much to his horror. Monica shifted showing signs of life for the first time only to cough out blood causing the doctor to let go of the piece of glass with a shaking hand.

"No boss...you had to be there to understand!" a goon shrieked before a shotgun went off followed by silence.

Fleur and Felix stared at the doctor in genuine horror once they saw the doorknob open behind him slowly. The Joker stood in the doorway, bloodied knife in hand looking at the three men in front of him who found themselves paralyzed.

His purple suit was stained with blood splatters along with some on his face and hair as he tilted his head to the side making it crack eerily. He moved forward, his footsteps hauntingly quiet which was quite uncharacteristic of him as his dark brown eyes locked with the woman that lay bleeding on the table.

He smiled and stretched out his hand as he gripped the shard and pulled it out with a harsh tug. Monica choked out more blood as Felix moved forward and proceeded to take off his jacket to wipe it off.

The Joker watched the goon with calculative eyes hidden behind his smiling façade.

"I expect her to be awake and cooperative in an hour, your lives depend on it," he told them smiling before stepping out of the room with the shard still in his hand as he let the door slam behind him.

The three men exchanged glances surprised to find themselves still breathing after that encounter before scrambling around to find anything of use in order to stop the woman on the table from dying.

After all, their lives depended on it.

**Review! So many added it to alert and favorites but only one reviewed! D:**


	8. The Last Night

**The Last Night...**

**A/N: Long time no see guys! I had writers block but thanks to those who reviewed I found it in myself to write this chappie. Shoutout to you guys: EmikoBankotsu , Megan, allthelovers , Robotic Butterfly , MikeyWayFreak**

Darkness…it seemed to surround her at first, her head spun uncontrollably causing her to lean further out of the chair in which she found herself in. She strained to open her eyes, her body ignored the command, instead she groaned and lost consciousness once more.

The light bulb hanging from the grime stained ceiling swung back and forth slowly hanging by a chord that had yellowed over the years. The light flickered on and off from time to time making it harder for her to even begin to realize where she was.

The walls around her stared blankly at her, the paint peeled off and accumulated on the floor leaving patches of black and cream to adorn the surface.

Her senses were clouded but her nose managed to pick up the smell of blood all around her. The iron smell disgusted her causing her to sway briefly on the verge of gagging.

Her body remained seated on the bloodstained chair, her shoulders low and her legs stretched out in front of her. Her wrists were tied behind her back with a rotting rope that clung to her wrists uncomfortably while it bruised her skin leaving behind harsh marks.

Her body started to regain consciousness as she tried to pick up her head but failed once more when the pain returned full force. She dropped her head and slipped back into unconsciousness.

Her matted hair had attained a certain dullness to it as the light bulb illuminated the dried blood that caused it to stick to her skin before drying. Her eyes remained closed, a trail of blood from the cut on her forehead snaked its way down when she had been dragged in to the room and tied down, it had dried by now and sharply contrasted with her pale skin which seemed dull under the dim light provided.

The only other person inside of the room remained still leaning up against the furthest wall of the room. His eyes locked on the woman who swayed in her seat. His chocolate eyes drifted from her to the wound on her lower stomach, the blood was starting to bleed though the bandages that had been applied moments ago by their doctor in a desperate attempt to save her life.

He didn't pay much attention to it; instead he took out a blade he had been hiding in his jacket and proceeded to click it open. He twirled it in his hands as the blade gleamed eerily in the dim lighting of the room. He then started to circle her slowly noting the smallest of details and features of the woman before him.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," he whispered in her ear as she jumped slightly and groaned trying to open her eyes once more. The room around her spun in maddening circles as she finally regained consciousness and attempted to look around.

She leaned back on her chair slightly and tried to pick up her head to see where she was. Her head pounded and the pain that shot through her was enough to make her want to scream out in agony. She opened her mouth to speak but found herself coughing out blood which shook her body even more causing her to slump forward once more.

The fresh blood stains on the already smudged ground stared back at her grimly reminding her of the condition in which she found herself in. She tried to move once more but found her wrists restricted to her back.

She held back another cough that threatened to rake through her body as she attempted to see where she was. The blurred vision that she had didn't help her situation as she looked around, every second that went by making it more difficult to hold up her head and observe her surroundings.

"Looking for someone?" a voice asked as she dropped her head once more. She could have recognized the mocking tone anywhere.

The pain returned as she bit her bottom lip and held back a scream that wanted to escape from her throat. The white makeup that came into view horrified her, and when it was joined by the black smudges around his eyes and the trademark jagged red smile she found herself wanting to merely die right then and there.

The Joker forced a smile as his eyes met with her own. He wanted to take his knife and slice her throat to save him the trouble of having to keep her alive, she was pathetic. He smiled genuinely at the thought which twisted his features into a menacing smile, she was useless as far as he was concerned and she was wasting his time by sitting there and bleeding all over his interrogation room.

It had taken his goons a week to clean the offending crimson liquid off of the floors last time. He sighed in his thoughts thanking whatever force had told him to change hideouts; at least he wouldn't have to bother with cleaning up after himself.

Monica glanced up at him with frightened eyes as she continued to lose blood. Her vision remaining blurred as he moved out of her sight once more.

"W-what do you want?" she managed to choke out as a cackled echoed off of the walls behind her.

"If I tell ya' it won't be a surprise anymore, doll," he replied as he continued to twirl the knife in his hands while watching her shake her head trying to stay awake for fear of losing consciousness with him so close and in possession of a knife. He made a promise to himself, if she passed out on him again he would personally take that pretty little neck of hers and break it with his own two hands.

The mere thought of hearing the pleasing crack comforted him, the temptation was far greater than he had expected. He held himself back however, he knew it would be more rewarding to dispose of her later on.

He found himself thinking back on how he had broken Harvey, and he couldn't resist the chuckle that escaped through his lips. All it took was the death of that woman, and he was lost forever. The Bat had been dangerously close to breaking his one and only rule after that incident, and that gave the green haired man immense pleasure.

He wanted to be the one to break the caped crusader; he wanted to prove to him that even heroes fell. He would stop at nothing to prove his point because he knew he was right.

The woman in front of him would help him in fulfilling that task. All he needed was for her to get close to the Bat, closer than Harvey's squeeze had gotten. The dark knight had managed that loss with difficulty, the Joker merely wondered if he could handle another without losing his sanity.

His thoughts however were interrupted by the woman in front of him as she shifted in the seat and tried to locate where he was. The fact that she couldn't see or hear what he was doing disturbed her greatly, for all she knew he could be pointing a gun at her right now ready to blow her brains out and add them to the wall decorations.

"Why am I here?" she asked him once more shaking violently when a sudden chill settled over her. Her skin continued to lose color, her hands felt like they belonged to a dead man due to them being so cold.

"You're the last piece of the puzzle, beautiful," he answered back as her brows furrowed in confusion. What did she have to do with any of this?

Before she could do anything else he stepped towards her and wrapped his arm around her neck placing the blade dangerously close to her skin. His face right next to her bloodstained cheek as he smiled to her once more.

"Prove to me that I didn't pick the wrong person," he told her before putting more pressure on the blade causing her to back up further into the chair in order to get away from the deadly metal. In doing so she backed up into his hunched over form which made him drop his smile slightly.

He regained it as soon as if left and let the knife he was holding slide out of his hand and fall to her lap. He pulled away from her and proceeded to walk towards the only door in the room as she stared after him in desperation.

"You have ten minutes to get out of this building…if you don't, well, you'll be joining the fireworks!" he laughed before letting the door close behind him.

Monica instantly panicked and looked around for anything to help her get out of the situation. Her current state of health wasn't helping her much but she would have to set that aside if she was to get out of there alive.

She noticed the blade he had purposely left on her lap making it impossible for her to reach it with her hands tied behind her back. She struggled against the rope and after moments of pure panic she found the grip lessening. However had tied her down had done a poor job on it, or perhaps it had all been done on purpose.

She managed to pull her hands out of the restraint and reached down to grab the knife before she prepared herself for getting up. She stood up with difficulty and collapsed on her knees finding her legs numb as she remained on the ground with a pained expression on her features.

She reminded herself that she still had to get out of the room in which she found herself in no matter what as she started to crawl over to the door, knife still in hand before she reached for the door knob and managed to turn it successfully.

She used it as support as she pulled herself up with difficulty before opening the door leaving a bloody hand print on the knob. She was greeted by more darkness in the barely lit corridor in which she stood in.

She used the wall as support as she stumbled aimlessly towards a staircase at the far end of the hall leaving blood smeared all over the white wall. She could hear commands being shouted from above and hurried footsteps.

She assumed that was the goons that worked for the Joker trying to gather everything before the place blew up.

Monica found herself staggering up the stairs, time seemed to go by faster than she could have ever expected as she heard a goon shout that they only had three minutes to get out of there.

She fumbled with the door leading out of the staircase as she managed to open it and slip through without dropping the knife in her bloodied hands.

She found herself at the back of a warehouse of some sort with men rushing to get out of it carrying cases of guns, powder, and gasoline, anything that they could get their hands on before it blew sky high.

She stared helplessly at them as the last of the men headed for the door.

"Hey, what do we do with the girl?" one of them called out spotting Monica as she panicked and gripped the knife tighter struggling to stand as several goons turned to look at her.

"The boss said to leave her!" another called back as most of the goons shrugged and ran out of the door. Felix was amongst the few that stayed as he motioned over for one of them to carry her; he knew she stood no chance of getting out unless they helped her.

She panicked when a goon walked over to her and picked her up while swinging her over his shoulder as she panicked and kicked wanting to get away from the man. She didn't want to go back to Joker; she didn't want to see his scarred face, or his twisted smile.

The man that was carrying her out would surely give her back to Joker and he would probably torture her until she begged him for death. She didn't want to go back…she didn't want to see him again. She felt horrible for doing this to her savior but she didn't want to be taken back to the clown prince of crime.

As soon as they were out of the building she took the knife and cut his shoulder as the man jumped unexpectedly at the sting he felt and dropped her. She landed on the snow covered ground and dropped the knife as the man turned to face her ready to teach her some lessons in manners before the goons in the last van yelled at him to leave her.

The man left with a glare while holding his injured shoulder as Monica reached over for the knife and picked herself up with more difficulty than before as she stumbled away from the building slipping here and there with the patches of ice that covered the ground.

As soon as she slipped into an alley the building exploded causing shards of glass and rock to blow into the air and come back down mingling in her hair and clothes as she slid down the wall near a fire escape ladder and held the knife close to her. The explosion still rang in her ears as she looked around weakly for anything or anyone to help her.

The snow around her started to lose its pure color as her blood mixed in with it turning the white into a nasty shade of red. The cold air swirled around her making her body shiver uncontrollably as her teeth chattered wildly.

Her eyes were struggling to remain open, she found it somewhat amusing. Months ago she had helped a clown in the same situation as her, she had even taken him to the best doctor she knew. She now found herself lying in a puddle of her own blood praying that someone would do her the same favor.

A nearby rustle caused her to look around preparing herself for the worst case scenario as a dark figure dropped down from above and landed with a crouch in front of her.

She would have laughed if she had been able to.

The Batman stood before her looking down at her with a somewhat disappointed look just before she passed out completely. He caught the woman in front of him and wrapped his cape around her shivering frame as he picked her up and walked over to the Tumbler that he had parked at the side of the street.

She would have a lot of explaining to do after she woke up, but for now all he needed was for her to wake up and be alright. With that aside, he placed her inside and closed the door behind him as he entered as well and stepped on the gas pedal before bringing up his phone and dialing a number.

"Alfred, prepare a bedroom for a guest," he told his butler as the older man agreed to his request before he added another demand, "and make sure a doctor is present by the time I arrive," he told the old man as he heard him sigh on the other line.

"Would the doctor be for you, Master Wayne?"

"No Alfred, it seems that our guest needs it more than I do."

**Review! Let me know what you think so far...dont just add it to alerts or favorites...I cry every time you guys do that! So dont forget to review!**


	9. It's All Part of the Plan

**It's All Part of the Plan...**

**A/N: My reviewers are starting to return! Im so happy :D I missed you guys! Anyway...this is a filler chappie, oh and I had to ask you guys one more thing that's been eating away at me: Should she fall for Bruce which would lead to major clashes between him and our Clown Prince of Crime, or just form a bond with him sort of like a brother and sister type of thing...its all up to you my dears! Let me know ;D**

Monica woke with a sudden gasp as she tried to get up but fell back against a soft warm comforter. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked around. She found herself in an immense room with crimson walls and expensive looking furniture.

The wound on her lower stomach still burned but not as much as it had before. She looked at the door when she heard the door knob turning as she sunk further back into the comforter. An old butler walked in with a tray in his hand which held assorted pieces of food.

"Ah, good to see you are awake and well, Miss…" the man started as Monica paused slightly still confused. She didn't know what she was doing there or where she was, she could tell the man meant no harm and found it in herself to trust him.

"Van Buren, Monica Van Buren," she told him in a raspy voice as she rose her hand to her throat and attempted to clear it clearly unaware that her throat had taken a turn for the worse.

"No need to apologize, miss," he told her as she nodded and closed her eyes briefly. He walked over and set the tray down next to her as she looked at him with even more confusion when she saw everything he had prepared for her.

"Where am I?" she asked before she could stop herself as the butler pulled back slightly and pondered on what to tell her.

"Wayne Manor, Miss Van Buren," he answered before he stepped back and bowed slightly, "you must forgive my rudeness, I am Alfred," he told her as she smiled slightly at the older man. At least she knew where she was and the man in front of her was being extremely welcoming.

There was something that was still bothering her however, why was she in Wayne Manor? The last thing she remembered was getting out of the warehouse and passing out in a nearby ally.

"But why am I-" she started before she was interrupted by the door opening once more. None other than Bruce Wayne stood in the doorway drying his hair with a towel while looking at his butler.

Monica couldn't help but blush when she noticed he was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist as he turned to her and offered her a smile.

"Alfred I can't find my clothes for the meeting, I'm already running late," he told his butler as the older man sighed resisting the urge to face palm. Monica couldn't help but smirk when she saw the interactions between the two men.

"They are in your bedroom, Master Wayne," Alfred replied as Bruce nodded and closed the door behind him. Monica turned to look at the butler, he could tell she wanted answers.

"You see Miss Van Buren, after waiting for over an hour for your arrival Master Wayne decided to head home, on his way here he happened to see someone stumbling into an alley, he decided to stop and see who it was…lucky for you it was him who picked you up and brought you here before anyone else got to you," Alfred lied as Monica nodded.

It made sense so why argue with the butler. Of course that hadn't been the entire truth, after waiting for an hour for her to show up Bruce had grown restless and after considering what she had been through the thought of her running into trouble crossed his mind.

He had decided to go drive around in the Tumbler to see if something had happened to her. He couldn't afford to lose her when she was her brother's only family member. Such a loss would shock the young police officer and the last thing Gotham needed was for him to falter when the city needed him the most.

He had been lucky to find her when the warehouse blew up, things could have gone far worse if anyone else had stumbled upon her unconscious body. He had merely made that story up to ease her nerves and to explain why she had ended up in his house.

"Pardon Master Wayne, he has never been an organized man," Alfred told her as she nodded and rested against the mass of pillows behind her. "I strongly suggest you eat something off of the tray, Miss Van Buren, it will help you regain your strength," he added as she looked at the food and then back at him.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," she told him feeling useless as she reached for a slice of apple and took a bite before falling back against the pillows once more when her wound burned. She frowned and brought a hand up to cover it as Alfred's brow furrowed.

"May I ask how you came to have such a gash, miss?" Alfred asked as she grimaced as the memories came back to her. The old butler could tell he had struck a personal chord and immediately felt guilty for causing her to remember unpleasant thoughts.

"I didn't mean to pry, Miss Van Buren," Alfred apologized as he bowed once more and started to head towards the door as Monica frowned once more. She didn't mean to upset the butler, he had been so welcoming and the last thing she wanted was to seem ungrateful.

"No, it's not like that Alfred…it's just that I hate myself for being so weak," she told him as the old man stopped and turned to look at her and waited for her to continue. "My brother is probably fuming right now, I know I'm stupid for getting myself into these situations," she explained as she remembered the brutal force of the van slamming into her car. "I didn't want any of this to happen…it just occurred so fast, I had no control over it…Joker got some of his goons to crash into our car and a shard of glass imbedded itself into my stomach." She told the butler as he nodded.

So it had been the Joker who was behind everything. It didn't shock the butler in the least, after all Rachel had gotten involved with the clown and got caught in his dangerous game, in the end she had paid with her life. Alfred didn't want any of that to happen to the woman in front of him, but he could tell she was already heading down the same path.

She had already been seen with Bruce out in public at the party her brother had been invited to. Surely this had called the Joker's attention; the man went after the people who were close to his targets first. He like to mess with people's minds and emotions, he seemed to thrive on other people's misery. He would always break them first, and then wait patiently while they destroyed themselves from the inside.

Bruce had been close to losing control last time; Rachel's death had nearly been enough to get him to break his one rule. Gotham's vigilante had managed to prove the clown wrong, and that seemed to spark something within Joker's mind. Batman hadn't fallen for his usual tricks, that alone gotten the Bat more attention from Joker. Everyone had a breaking point, and the Clown Prince of Crime was hell bent on bringing down the Dark Knight.

Alfred worried for the woman before him, if she got involved with Bruce she would surely end up dead. Her brother drew attention to her as well, as a high ranking police officer the Joker had taken interest in him as well.

Alfred merely hoped the clown would leave the woman be, but why should he when he had the opportunity to take out two birds with one stone?

"Get some rest, Miss Van Buren, I shall inform your brother of your stay with us," the butler told her as she nodded and thanked him for the food. She really didn't think she could stomach much but found herself promising the butler that she would try to eat more.

She laid back down and found herself thinking of everything that had happened. Why didn't the Joker kill her when he had the chance? Why did he let her go?

She turned to her side and grimaced as her body ached; the various bruises adorning her arms became visible as she pulled the comforter closer to her body and drifted back to sleep. She would face her brother when the time came, for now all she wanted to do was rest.

Alfred decided to phone her brother and relieve him of the worry of not knowing where she was as he picked up the phone and dialed his number. After an hour of the man shouting at him the butler managed to convince him that allowing her to stay was best for her due to the manor being practically impenetrable, not to mention that the last thing she needed at the moment was to be disturbed from her rest.

Alfred spent the rest of his day cleaning up the manor, mostly Bruce's room before the master of the house arrived looking stressed out and tired.

"I suppose the meeting went well, Master Wayne," Alfred commented as Bruce stared blankly at his butler and at smirked at his sarcasm. The billionaire proceeded to shed his business jacket and unbutton his shirt as he walked into the kitchen and poured some wine into a glass.

Alfred watched with a concerned look on his expression as Bruce sipped the red liquid and turned to look at him.

"How is she?" he asked in a low voice as Alfred straightened up and looked at Bruce who remained still waiting for an answer.

"The doctor said she would be fine if the wound is left undisturbed, the clown did a lot of damage, there are bruises all over her body, none of them were severe enough to raise concern," the old butler told him as Bruce's smirk dropped.

"Joker hit her?" he asked as Alfred smiled much to Bruce's surprise.

"I highly doubt he did sir, as much as I despise the man I do not think he would stoop down to that level," Alfred told him as Bruce nodded and proceeded to check on the woman who was staying in one of the many rooms in the manor.

He opened the door as quietly as he could and peeked inside only to find her sleeping on her side. The dark purple and blue bruises that were visible on her arms disturbed him deeply and only stirred an extreme want to beat the Clown Prince of Crime senseless.

He walked into the room knowing she was completely unaware of his presence as he walked over the side of the bed that she was facing and examined her face. He frowned upon seeing that there were bruises there too; he turned away and exited the room with a sneer on his face intended for the Joker.

"Watch over her, Alfred," Bruce told his butler as he passed him as the older man nodded and bowed his head. Alfred merely watched the younger man leave knowing he would be out tonight in Gotham looking for a certain clown. The butler sighed before replying.

"Gladly, sir."

**Well, review and let me know what you think!**


	10. Scars and Tattoos

**Scars and Tattoos**

**A/N: I must say that the reviews that keep coming are amazing! I am proud to have readers like you guys! I hope I don't dissapoint with this chapter :D Enjoy!**

Bruce walked into is room after a tiring night and shed the Batsuit with a sigh, his muscles were sore and protested with the slightest movement. He tossed the cowl onto an armchair beside his bed as he sat down on the edge of the king sized mattress and fell back against the red silk sheets.

His eyelids started to close slowly before Alfred's voice broke his peace and startled him enough to shoot off of the bed. He pulled on some black sweats before racing out to see what the commotion was about.

"Miss Van Buren, I strongly suggest you lie down and get some rest, there is no need to push your body like this," the old butler told her as he walked beside the young woman who was using the wall as support to walk away from him.

"Alfred…I'm sorry, but I feel useless lying down on the bed when I know I can get a glass of water myself," she told him struggling to hold herself up as she leaned her body up against the wall and took deep breaths.

She had never had anyone pamper her as much as the old butler did, and it felt wrong to order him around. She felt useless watching him run around the house and cater to her every need, she had never been filthy rich and therefore she had never had a butler. She felt horrible when she asked for something and he returned seconds later with it.

"Miss Van Buren, it is of no trouble to me…you are only going to cause harm to yourself if you keep going," he told her as she winced and held her stomach. She breathed heavily and tried to think of anything but the pain as she pushed herself off of the wall and continued to walk once more.

"I've…never had anyone do anything for me," she explained as she rested against the wall once more and whimpered when the searing pain returned full force. She could already hear her brother in her head telling her to suck it up and stop being so weak. All of her life her sibling and her father had constantly told her that she had to do things herself, they had made sure to hammer that into her head.

"It may take a while to get used to Miss, but it is my job, I have no other priorities but to watch after you and make sure you do not harm yourself over something like this," he told her as she slid down the wall with tears in her eyes. The pain was beyond description at that point.

The cold wooden floor greeted her as she placed her right palm against it and struggled to control her body. Her arms shook uncontrollably by that time and the cut on her stomach burned like nothing she had ever felt before.

"Your brother was right, you're too stubborn for your own good," Bruce commented as he walked out of his room after observing everything from the doorway. He made sure to close the door behind him as he walked over to the woman who sat on the floor in front of his butler.

"Master Wayne, I tried to persuade her," the butler told the billionaire as he nodded and looked at the young tattooer who remained unmoving. His lips tugged upwards into a smile when he noticed she didn't have any tattoos of her own, something rather odd when you worked in that profession.

"I'm sorry…for causing this much trouble," she told them as Alfred turned to look at Bruce and shook his head hopelessly. She was just like him when he had to recover from an injury, the butler would argue with him endlessly in order to keep him in his bed for more than a day.

"Apologize later, let's get you back into bed," Bruce told her as he crouched down and helped her up. She let a shaky breath out as Bruce wrapped an arm around her in order to hold her up and guide her back.

The playboy found the woman in his hold fascinating, any other woman would have jumped at the chance of being so close to him when he was shirtless, she kept her distance from him and used his arm for balance when she needed it.

He led her over to the bed once more while helping her with the mass of covers and pillows. She winced here and there when she moved her side too much but soon found a comfortable position as she snuggled closer to the comforter and pillow.

Bruce sat beside her on the armchair beside the nightstand when Alfred threw him a warning glance. Bruce got the message and nodded back as the butler closed the door behind him and went off to find the medicine that the doctor had left behind.

"You're an odd tattoo artist…you have none on you," Bruce told her as she looked at him with half lidded eyes. She would have smiled if the pain she was feeling wasn't so distracting. She got asked and teased about that subject a lot.

"You're an odd business man…you have a cut on your side," she pointed out with her hand as she rose it up in a lazy fashion to point at the spot she was referring to. Bruce would have face palmed had he been able to. If she wasn't in the state in which she found herself in he had no doubt that she would have pushed the subject further.

After all, what kind of business man had fresh scars all over his body?

Much to Bruce's relief Alfred came in with pills and a glass of water on a silver platter which helped ease his nerves. He walked over to the side of the bed she was facing and handed her the pills before setting the tray down and helped her up. She put them in her mouth and reached for the glass of water with a shaky had as she swallowed them with a frown on her face.

"That should help with the pain, if you need anything else do not hesitate to call, miss," Alfred told her as he took the tray into his arms and walked out of the room once more. He knew Bruce wouldn't leave until he was sure she wouldn't get up again, he saw no reason for him to remain there as well when he could be doing something more productive around the mansion.

"Enlighten me, why would you want a job when you already have one?" Bruce asked as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She looked at him tiredly before frowning once more.

"I can't afford a place for my artists to work in…the place that opened up is expensive…I'm working on getting the remaining money in order for them to start tattooing again, they have families that depend on them, the longer I take the longer they struggle to maintain themselves," she told him slurring the last part as sleep finally got the better of her.

She rested her head against one of the many pillows and sighed as she pulled the comforter up to her neck. Bruce's brow furrowed in confusion, she had failed to mention herself when she had answered him. It was always about someone other than herself.

He found himself chuckling slightly when he looked at her disheveled appearance. Her hair stuck out in odd directions, a couple of strands defying gravity, he didn't even think hair was capable of maintaining that form.

He stood up from his chair and walked towards the door after making sure that she was sleeping as he left the room and closed the door behind him. He walked into the kitchen to find Alfred preparing a cup of coffee for him before the butler turned to look at Bruce.

"She is an interesting young lady," Alfred commented as he handed Bruce the coffee and turned to clean the kitchen counter top. Bruce sighed in agreement and sipped the coffee before looking out at Gotham through the large glass window a few feet away.

"She's observant too, she noticed the cut on my side," Bruce commented as Alfred turned to look at the billionaire with a concerned look. "It's not that bad, Alfred," he added once he saw the old butler worrying over him.

"Master Wayne, the last time you said that you needed 20 stitches," the butler told him as he moved sideways to get a good look at said cut. The butler grimaced when he saw the wound that was barely starting to clog as he motioned for Bruce to follow him.

"Alfred it isn't bad enough to raise concern," Bruce called after his butler as the older man stopped and turned to look at him.

"At the very least allow me to disinfect it, you of all people should know what infection can do," he told the playboy as Bruce sighed and rose from the kitchen stool and walked after the butler who turned and continued to walk.

Bruce sat on the large couch in the living room as he waited for his butler to come back with the supplies that he had gone off to fetch. Sure enough Alfred came back with several items in his arms which he placed in an orderly fashion on the coffee table in front of Bruce. The billionaire grimaced when he was the bottle of disinfectant.

The butler applied some of the liquid on a cloth before he reached over to Bruce.

"May I ask what happened this time, Master Wayne," Alfred told him as Bruce hissed when the disinfectant cloth touched the cut.

"Joker and his knives, same thing every time," Bruce answered hissing again when Alfred applied more disinfectant to the cloth before resuming his task.

"You have never come home from a scuffle with the clown with a cut of this magnitude, however," the butler told him as Bruce nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, Alfred was right. He couldn't explain how he had allowed Joker to get in a good swipe at him. Perhaps he had been distracted, or perhaps the clown was getting faster, he couldn't fathom how it had happened.

"You will have to be more careful, Master Wayne," Alfred told him as he continued to disinfect the deep cut, "I do not know how much more of this your body will take," the butler told him as Bruce looked away from him and continued to glance out of the window in an effort to distract himself.

After a few minutes Alfred packed up the supplies and gathered them in his arms once more before walking away leaving Bruce on the couch as the billionaire stood and walked over to the large windows in his mansion.

"Did you manage to get any information from the clown, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked when he came back and stood beside Bruce.

"Nothing but the ravings of a madman, I can only assume that whatever he wants from her is nothing good," Bruce answered as Alfred nodded and looked down at the city from the vantage point in which they were in.

"You are aware that she will not be wanting to stay here any longer than she needs to, are you not, Master Wayne?" the butler asked as Bruce nodded, he had assumed that as well. He would just have to make sure that her brother took extra precaution with her.

As long as the Joker had his eye on her she wouldn't be able to step outside without several men accompanying her. Even then Bruce had his doubts, after all the clown had gotten past the last two bodyguards that she had been with.

"I won't be needing you for the rest of the evening, Alfred, feel free to rest," Bruce told him as he headed for his room, the events of the night before had drained the little energy that he had. All he needed at the moment was to rest. "Let me know when she wakes," he told his butler as the older man nodded and watched the billionaire close the door behind him.

The butler merely shook his head; the woman in the other room had already sealed her fate when she crossed paths with the clown. Alfred wondered how long it would be until they clashed with each other once more, for he knew that it was bound to happen no matter how many bodyguards she had around her.

The old butler shook his head before turning away from the city of Gotham; he walked away and started to clean the mansion up again before either of the two sleeping bodies woke.

A butler's work was never done.

**Review! :D**


	11. Scream for Me

**Scream for Me...**_  
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**A/N: Well, this is one hell of chapter :D Im glad so many of you are enjoying this story, let me know what you think!  
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_The Joker had never been afraid of death, on the contrary he often found himself wondering when all of his deeds would catch up to him. He wondered what it would be like, but he never thought it would end like this, with his own gun. He heard the loud crack of the revolver going off; much to his surprise it wasn't him who had pulled the trigger. _

_He looked down grimly as his chest oozed out blood. _

_He smiled wearily. _

_He dropped down on his knees and stared at the wound, his smile still in place. A sudden chill settled upon his body as he held back a shiver. He looked up, he didn't laugh, his smile disappeared instantly. He recognized that voice anywhere. _

"_And so, the clown's luck ran out," the voice mocked as the Joker grimaced and held his wound as his burning chocolate eyes locked with the metallic blue of the man in front of him._

"_It was going to…happen sooner or later," the clown replied pausing mid-sentence to hold back a hiss of pain; instead he masked it with a low chuckle before he choked on his own blood. _

_The metallic cling of a coin filled his ears as he looked up at the man before him once more, his smile back in place. His eyes landed on the coin, his lips stretched even further out when he saw the charred side staring back at him. _

"_Any last words?" the man asked as the Joker swayed in his spot briefly before laughing once more. _

"_I thought you were dead," the clown commented as the man in front of him shook his head. _

"_Half," he replied stepping in front of the Joker. _

_The clown smiled widely at him as the figure came into view. One side of his face revealed a young man with dirty blond hair; the other however revealed a burnt façade with bits of bone and flesh sticking out in odd shapes and angles. The pair of blue eyes that glared daggers at the Joker took a darker shade when the clown swayed once more, the blood still flowing freely down his chest. _

_He glanced down at his green vest; it could barely be called green. The crimson stain gleamed up at him reminding him of his situation. He shrugged the pain off and managed to stand once more. _

_His bloodstained teeth were still bared in a smile as he walked over to the man that had been mocking him. He stumbled slightly but regained his footing before stopping inches away from the criminal who would be the one to end his life. Two-Face, who would have known that his own puppet would be the death of him?_

"_I never did anything, I never killed your squeeze, I never scarred you," the Joker told him in a low voice before spitting out blood as he held his head high and shook off the green locks that fell over his eyes, "you were the one who brought it upon yourself…you're the one to blame."_

"_Get out of my face, clown," Harvey replied dangerously holding the gun up in between them. _

_The Joker held back a laugh as he stretched his lips to their full capacity despite the burning sensations that the scars were evoking. _

"_Which one?" he asked laughing as Two-Face snarled and rose the revolver up to the clown's head. Even in situations when the Joker's sense of humor was totally uncalled for he didn't seem to be able to control himself. _

_Two-Face held up the coin that both men were familiar with by now and showed it to the clown reminding him of his fate. _

_The Joker didn't falter as Harvey gripped the gun tighter and pulled the trigger in one swift move. _

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Joker woke with a startled jump and sat up on the uncomfortable bed in which he had been sleeping in with a cold sweat. He rose his hand up slowly to the right side of his face and remained like that for what seemed hours.

He laughed softly, trying to ease his nerves and the headache that surfaced after he had woken. The three hours that he had managed to get in served no purpose, he still felt drained and his muscles still protested from the previous night.

It didn't matter, when he closed his eyes he often had unpleasant dreams, he preferred to hear the screams of his victims when he slept. Lately, however, the image of Harvey kept coming up. The Clown Prince of Crime couldn't quite explain the new occurrence; it wasn't like his conscience wasn't at peace. He had disposed of that a long time ago; he wouldn't be able to sleep if he still had one.

He groaned when he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up dropping his hand from its previous position when it brushed against the smooth scar on his right cheek. He walked over to the window of the room in which he found himself in and stared outside with interest apparent in his expression.

The sun wasn't even up yet. He glanced sideways at the clock that rested on the nightstand and smiled despite himself.

2:30 AM.

He moved away from the window and walked into the bathroom which was connected to his room by a simple white door. He opened the door and turned the light on completely ignoring the mirror up against the wall; he reached for the knob beneath the showerhead and turned it on in an irritated fashion.

He waited for a moment before disposing of his clothes and stepping into the shower. The hot water that hit his back did little to calm his thoughts; they kept running with the images of Harvey trying to make sense of them.

He stared at the trail of makeup that mixed with the water as it disappeared down drain with a sneer on his face. The green tint in his hair soon followed which only increased his foul mood, he would have to dye his hair again, the color had lost its original garish trait and left a bit of dirty blond exposed at the roots.

He rolled his left shoulder trying to get feeling back into it as the dark bruise on the back of it impeded him from feeling anything other than pain with the slightest movement. It wasn't the only mark the Bat had left, he had several others scattered all over his body…he didn't even want to begin to count the new scars he had acquired over the last few days.

He remained under the hot water for a few more minutes before turning away from it and stepping out of the shower. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist while he used the other to dry his hair leaving green dye on the white material.

The clothes he had left on the floor were gathered up into his arms as he reached into his pocket and searched blindly for his blade. He frowned when his hand wrapped around nothing but air, he never misplaced his knives.

He uttered a growl when he remembered that he had left it behind with the woman at his old hideout, he would have to pay her another visit in order to get it back. There would be hell to pay if she didn't have it; after all it was one of his favorite blades.

He instead reached into his other pocket finding his other knife without fault as he clicked it open and opened the door while walking out of the bathroom. He instantly froze when a woman bumped directly into him.

He stepped back and took her appearance in; she was a worker from the hotel in which he had decided to rest in for the night. Sadly she had chosen the wrong room to clean, then again…he had forgotten to put up the, 'Do not disturb' sign up.

"Pardon me, sir," she started as she looked up and opened her mouth to scream when she saw who it was. The Joker however was having none of that, he moved swiftly and covered her mouth with his hand before slamming her up against a nearby wall.

"Sorry doll, but this is as far as you go," he told her as the woman shook her head and attempted to speak despite having his hand over her mouth. He resisted the urge to pull away in disgust when he felt her tears stream down his hand.

He reached for his knife and after a moment he lifted his hand while staring at the woman warningly daring her to open her mouth and scream. She remained silent as the tears continued to stream down her flushed cheeks.

"Please don't kill me, I won't tell anyone…I promise," she whimpered pleadingly. The Joker laughed heartedly and shook his head as he rose the blade up to her neck. He let it linger there for a moment before he rose it up to her mouth earing more of a reaction from her when he slipped it in and tugged gently against her cheek.

"You're one of the few who have seen me without my makeup, do ya' wanna know what happened to the others?" he asked clicking his tongue at the end as she stared at him with wide eyes. "I'll give ya a hint, they didn't have a chance to share it," he told her as she shook her head once more and uttered a low cry that disgusted him even more.

People were so pathetic nowadays, whatever happened to those who showed bravery before they died? Where were those who looked death in the eye and smiled?

The clown laughed on the inside, all of the fun people were gone. He was left to kill those who begged for their lives pathetically.

He smiled sweetly, as sweetly as his scars allowed him, and tugged at the knife with force as it sliced open her cheek. She uttered a groan, unable to scream out of the pure pain that she was going through, as her hand flew up to try and ease the burning sensation. He stepped behind her and gripped her head in his hands, without hesitation he turned it sharply to the side and allowed her to fall dead to the ground when he heard a crack.

He sighed in discontent; she had proven to be a dull victim.

He stepped over her dead body and proceeded to get dressed calmly, he completely disregarded the body on the ground before him as he stepped over her again and proceeded to the bathroom once more to apply his trademark makeup and green hair dye.

The fact that he was thinking of the dream he had hours before proved how little he cared about the woman that he had just killed. He pondered over the meaning as he applied the black grease makeup around his eyes not caring if it smudged the white that he had applied before.

He halted however when it came time to apply the red substance on his scars. He stared blankly at the makeup in front of him and after a moment he started to apply it with hesitation. The harsh ridges and bumps on his cheeks felt foreign against his fingers. He had done this countless times before, he couldn't explain why, he had never gotten used to the feel of the scars.

He stepped back after he was done and left the bathroom without checking his work, it didn't matter, in a few hours his makeup façade would be smeared. He stepped over the body of the young woman once more without so much as a glance and headed for the door after checking his pockets for all of his belongings, not that he had many just his knifes and cards.

He walked down the hall knowing no one would be up and about at this time of night and opened the door to the room where the rest of his goons had been staying in and walked in. He didn't bother in being quiet; he walked over to Fleur and kicked the man on the side.

"We're leaving, if anyone takes more than five minutes I'll indulge myself and uh…carve their faces," the Joker told him with a smile that revealed bloodied teeth. Fleur's brow furrowed, not because of the threat but because of the state of his boss.

"Uh, boss…you're bleeding," Fleur told him nervously as the clown drew back instantly and ran a hand over his lip. He pulled it back and stared at his bloodstained purple glove, his goon was right. He turned sharply with rage wondering why he was bleeding as flashbacks from the dream resurfaced.

"Three minutes!" he called back startling several sleeping goons as they scrambled around picking up after themselves in a hurry fearing to be the last one out as they rushed out of the hotel passing the body of the receptionist they had to kill when they arrived.

They found the Clown Prince of Crime leaning up against their van waiting patiently for them which unnerved the group of men as they rushed over to the cars and entered them quietly not wishing to provoke their boss further.

The Joker stepped in after the last goon after casting a second glance at the hotel as he motioned for the goon to start driving. He sat at the back of the truck next to Felix who kept stealing sideway glances at the clown next to him in worry.

He hoped his scars hadn't been reopened, the last time that had happened half of the goons had ended up dead with smiles cut into their faces…and that was on a good day.

Felix stared grimly out of the window as it started to snow once more; he wondered what his boss had in mind this time.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"It's been too long…I want this city to remember…I want them to scream for their lives," a distorted voice commented as the two henchmen turned to look at their boss. The man stood on the edge of a building looking down at Gotham with his head tilted before he lit his lighter and flicked his wrist putting it out again in one swift motion.

"Yeah…but what about Joker?" one of them asked as the masked man turned to look at him with two black holes for eyes. The sack around his head certainly did a number on his men, most of them were too afraid of being near him, they were downright terrified since they couldn't figure out what he was thinking of or who he was looking at.

"Joker will not be a problem to me," the man replied as his voice dropped considerably, he shifted the scythe that he had over his shoulder before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun and started to walk away.

He stopped when he reached the two henchmen that had accompanied him before he pulled the trigger and injected one of them with his trademark hallucinogen. The other man stepped back in horror as his partner dropped to the ground screaming in pure fear at an imaginary object before him.

"Come, there is much to do," the masked man ordered as the remaining henchman turned sharply and followed after his boss not wanting to suffer the same fate as his college who remained on the ground screaming in utter terror. He lowered his head before turning away from the other man and answering the masked one who walked in front of him.

"Of course, Scarecrow."

**Review! I swear so many of you put it on alert or favorites...but didnt review! D; Let me know if ya' like it ;D**


	12. Don't Say a Word

**Don't Say a Word**

**A/N: New chappie, enjoy!  
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Alfred glanced up from the kitchen counter he was cleaning when he saw their latest addition step out of her room with a slight limp. The butler frowned when he saw the jacket she carried in one arm, she was clearly going out, he wondered if she had informed Bruce of this. He shook his head, of course she hadn't, he wouldn't have agreed to let her out.

She glanced up and froze as soon as she saw him, the color drained from her face as she rose her hands to explain before he stopped her with one of his own.

Her brother had given Alfred strict orders, as long as she remained in the mansion no one went out or in without his or Bruce's approval. She had protested at first but given up after seeing that neither of the men were going to change their minds.

She hadn't been out in over a month, the realization hit her from time to time, she longed for fresh air…a chance to walk around outside without the millionaire losing his mind over her safety.

"I am assuming you did not tell Master Wayne," he stated as she dropped her arms and sighed in defeat. She had hoped to leave without any of the two men noticing, so much for that plan.

"I'll be back, just give me an hour," she begged as Alfred pondered the consequences should something go wrong. His gaze never faltered as he nodded slowly, a smile spread across her expression, she walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Alfred," she told him before pulling away and holding her side. The butler cast her a worried glance as she shook her head and dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand.

"I'm fine, I'll be back before you know it," she told him as she started to walk away. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she left the large mansion, a feat that would prove to be more difficult than she had first thought.

Monica breathed in the fresh winter air as soon as she stepped outside before looking up at the night sky; it seemed like centuries since she had seen the stars. She wrapped her jacket around herself and stuffed her hands in the pockets before walking away from the mansion.

She had to walk herself to the entrance due to her brother confiscating her motorcycle to make sure she stayed put, that wouldn't stop her from getting to where she needed to be.

After mere moments the cab she had called arrived, she closed the door behind her and shook the snow off of the bottom of her black jeans. She fixed her scarf before looking up at the driver and instructing him on where to go.

She settled back onto the seat, the scent of car freshener hit her straight on; she wrinkled her nose before lowering the window. The cold air that hit her seemed to have brought her back to life, her face regained some of its lost color, she felt alive again.

She didn't mind staying in the mansion with Alfred, Bruce was rarely home, but she certainly needed her time away from being locked indoors. She felt like a caged animal seeing its life go by through steel bars, she could see the world but she wasn't allowed to go out into it.

"We're here, miss," the cab driver told her as she looked outside the window and remained put. After a moment of hesitation she paid the cab driver and stepped out of the car. The snow crunched beneath her biker boots as she walked up to the house that she had been trying to avoid.

She knocked on the wooden door, her knuckles numb due to the chilling air. She waited patiently, she wished he wasn't home. He wouldn't be too happy to see her anyway but she had promised she would drop by.

The door swung open to reveal Judas towering over her, his grey eyes scanning her over briefly before he stepped aside allowing her to enter without a single word. She forced her legs to move; she passed by his intimidating frame and let a soft sigh escape from her lips when she heard the door slam shut behind her.

She turned to face Judas, uncertainty in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around lately-"

"Where were you?" he cut her off, his gaze burning into her own. She shrunk under his smoldering eyes before she found herself backing away from him. She stopped herself when she realized what she was doing and stood her ground, she had been taught better.

"My brother didn't want me to stay at our old house, I would have told you but he wouldn't-"

"I didn't ask for excuses, I asked where you were," he interrupted again as she steadied herself and refused to back away even when his gaze grew darker.

"I've been staying with someone else, far away from the city," she replied steadily as his jaw clenched. She braced herself for his reaction, but she hadn't expected the calmness that emanated out of him.

"With who?" he asked in a low voice.

She bit her lip, she hadn't thought of that, she knew he would be outraged when he found out the truth but she couldn't lie either. He had a way of telling when she lied, she didn't know if she gave herself away or if he could see straight through her.

"With my brother's friend," she told him trying to avoid going any deeper, she could see Judas' jaw clench even more. The situation grew out of control by the minute but she couldn't stop it now, not when he was this worked up about it.

"Who?" he snarled stepping forward as her body froze, she couldn't move at all. He was a biker after all, one wrong move could set him off, one wrong word could earn her the beating of a lifetime. She had never thought of him in a negative manner but as she stood in front of the man she started to doubt herself.

"Bruce Wayne," she answered slowly as he drew back slightly. She could see a million emotions flood through him, but the one that prevailed was the one she had been hoping to avoid.

"The playboy who owns half of the city? You've been staying with him?" Judas growled at her stepping forward once more. She remained glued to the spot as his shadow fell over her, she could see his muscles tense as he drew closer, what had she gotten herself into?

"I don't see why you're getting so work up abo-"

"Enough!" he thundered at her as she flinched when he rose his hand and brought it down quickly. She closed her eyes in pure fear waiting for the inevitable, moments passed and nothing happened. She risked a glance at him, his hand hovered above her cheek inches away from hitting her, she realized he had been testing her.

He had stopped himself; she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Her relief, however, was short lived. His hand seized her jaw forcing her to look at him; the pressure he was using brought tears to her eyes. She refused to let them flow; she wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing that.

"What does he get in return for letting you stay there, hm?" he asked applying even more force, her brow furrowed as pain and confusion coursed through her body, "surely he doesn't let you stay there out of the kindness of his heart," he added as she caught on.

"How dare you!" she shrieked her face flushing red with anger as she rose her own hand and wrapped it around his wrist. He snarled before releasing her and backhanding her with such force that it sent her reeling several feet back.

He growled in the back of his throat as he glanced down at his hand, it stung as if it was being held over a roaring inferno. The red skin reminded him of what he had just done, if he felt pain from it he didn't even want to imagine what she had felt.

His eyes rose slowly to see her shaking form pressed up against the wall opposite to his, one hand over the right side of her face as the other shook uncontrollably trying to hold her body up against the wall.

"Babe…I-I'm so sorry," he whispered walking over to her before she stumbled away from him. Her soft crying reached his ears; a pang of regret hit him as he stared at her weak form inching towards the door. He didn't move to stop her, he didn't deserve her.

"You're not sorry…" she murmured, crying still. His pleading gaze followed her as she shuffled towards the front door.

"It won't happen again…I promise," he begged reaching out to her as she struggled to grip the doorknob. She missed the first couple of times but managed to grip it nonetheless as she opened the door and shook her head at him when he offered his hand out to her.

"Stay for the night at the very least, it's not safe out there," he told her as she shook her head, she held back a laugh at the statement.

"It's safer out there…than in here with you," she told him before closing the door behind her. She descended the stairs narrowly avoiding a fall onto the cold snow covered ground before leaving his house behind.

She walked around the empty streets without a destination; she didn't want to think of meaningless things like that at the moment. Her thoughts were running with Judas and what had just happened, she didn't care where her feet took her.

Her bottom lip quivered as she turned a corner and ran straight into a wall, or so it seemed. It wasn't until she noticed that said wall was breathing that she looked up and nearly fainted at the sight.

"Good evening," a distorted voice greeted her as her horrified eyes landed on the sack over his head. He tilted it to the side in curiosity at the woman in front of him, the act earning himself a step back from the woman.

Monica stared at the man as he continued to stare at her; it was starting to unnerve her. Why was it that any time she chose to go out a psycho decided to join her for a walk?

Now that she thought of it, she preferred Joker over the thing in front of her, the man oozed out fear itself. She shuddered and managed to turn herself around in order to get away before a laugh reached her ears.

"I would not do that if I was you," the man told her shaking his gun at her mockingly in a negative gesture. Her eyes landed on the needle where the barrel should have been, she gulped and froze.

She would give anything to be dealing with Joker instead of him. Her mind reconsidered however, Joker was just as horrifying as the talking thing in front of her, now that she thought of it she would rather be at the mansion watching a movie with Alfred.

"W-who are you?" she stuttered out as he lowered his arm in disappointment along with the gun. His suspicions were confirmed, he had been away for too long, people had forgotten who he was and what he stood for.

It didn't matter, he would make them remember.

"I am fear," he snarled at her his voice echoing at the end as he stepped towards her and rammed his gun into her stomach. She gasped as he pulled the trigger and injected something into her, he remained close to her refusing to back away and remove the needle.

Monica's head swam briefly before the man next to her started to morph into something else. She felt something scurry down her arm causing her pupils to dilate in pure genuine horror. She looked down and let out a bloodcurdling scream when she saw a mass of rats at her feet.

"No!" she screamed in fear as she backed away from the man and flailed her arms trying to get the rodents off of her, she could feel their beady little eyes on her, their small but sharp teeth nipping at her skin, their tails stinging her flesh.

The man held one in his hand as he advanced towards her, his mask twisting and contorting into different shapes as rats emerged from the hole where his mouth should be.

Monica continued to back away before she started to hyperventilate, she struggled to breathe as the mass of rats continued to advance on her. Her hand flew up to her throat as she gasped for air, the man in front of her pausing and looking at her in curiosity once more.

"That's right, feel the fear in your body, let it run through your veins, let me hear you scream," he laughed as she let loose another cry when one of the rats nipped at her hand. The phobia overloading her senses as her vision started to darken.

Her chest heaved one last time in a desperate attempt to get more air into her body before she collapsed on the ground in front of Scarecrow. He looked down at her and cracked his neck in irritation, she had proven to be entertaining but in the end a disappointment.

He stepped over her unconscious body before heading away from the scene, surely someone would have heard her screams…with lungs like hers he'd be surprised if she hadn't woken up half of the city. He lived for people like her; screams like those weren't easy to come across nowadays.

He made a mental note on the woman before slipping into the shadows once more; there was work to be done still.

OoOoOoOoO

"Did you hear that?" Felix asked pausing from his task of loading up a truck with barrels of gasoline, several other goons halting as well to hear. He didn't like the sound of screams, especially women's, it had sounded like they were killing someone in the most painful way possible.

"Come with me," he ordered pointing to two goons who nodded and stepped forward, "the rest of you stay here and finish the job, unless you want to upset the boss," he told them before walking away to investigate.

He knew this part of the city well, with a background like his it would be ridiculous for him to get lost in the Narrows. He searched everywhere for the source until he turned a corner leading towards the better part of the city and tripped over something.

He hit the ground with a dull thud followed by the other two goons who stared at each other amazed at their stupidity. They picked themselves up after muttering excuses about being distracted before they realized what they had tripped over.

"Ah, shit," Felix muttered as he stared down at the body of the woman that he was familiar with by now. She was covered with a thin sheet of sweat and her chest rose rapidly, the thing that concerned him however was the bruise on her right cheek. He looked around wondering what had happened before he pondered on what to do with her.

It was Joker's territory after all, Felix wondered what kind of man had done this to her. It had probably been one who wanted to get a point across, or an extremely stupid thug. Either way he couldn't let her out on the streets like that, he was amazed he had found her before anyone else had.

He reached down to pick her up and swung her over his shoulder. She muttered something about rats that he completely ignored before the two goons that he had brought with him cast him questioning glances.

"I don't want this to get to the boss, what you saw didn't happen, we were never here and she was never around this part of town, got it?" he told them as they both nodded nervously. Felix turned and started to walk back with her planning on leaving her somewhere where she could easily be found by the law.

He wondered what had happened to her, he ignored his own thoughts and concentrated on getting her out of the Narrows. He merely hoped Joker didn't find out about his little escapade with his puppet, or there would be blood spraying everywhere. He reconsidered when a flash of the bruise on her cheek reappeared in his mind, on second thought maybe telling Joker wasn't such a bad idea after all. Felix hated men who thought highly of themselves when they harmed a woman, the temptation to tell the Joker grew even more.

He cast the thought aside; he had to take care of her first before he even thought of getting revenge for her.

He shifted her body on his shoulder and started to walk away from the Narrows fully aware of the criminals who hid in the shadows. Some remained there out of fear; others took note and watched attentively as the three goons passed by with a woman who looked out of place amongst their type of crowd.

They made a note to remember her, the information would come in handy later on, after all…she appeared to be on Joker's side. There was always another criminal willing to pay a hefty sum for any information related to the clown; she would fetch a high price amongst unscrupulous characters.

Everything was going to go downhill one the mob found out about her.

**Review, I cry every time you add it without a review! Let me know what you think ;D**


	13. Who Did This?

**Who Did This?**

**A/N: Short filler chappie! Let me know what you think nonetheless! Oh, sidenote to some ;D **

**Silent: I want my paragraph -_- lmao **

**allthelovers: I agree, you cant hide anything from that clown! He should have just told the Joker before he found out himself XD**

**Cheekymonkey97: Well, we all know Joker dosent like sharing his turf, you can expect alot of bullets and gasoline, ALOT of gasoline :D**

**EmikoBankotsu: Glad you brought that up, her past along with the others will be revealed in snippets, I hate it when authors throw it all into one chapter D: so I decided to let it be known over time ;D**

**England101: Judas and Scarecrow...hmm Im liking the sound of that confrontation :D **

Alfred paced around the mansion, it was late and she still wasn't back. The old butler glanced at the clock for the millionth time and tried to ease his nerves.

Bruce was currently out on another of his parties and wouldn't be arriving any time soon, that was all the butler had to his advantage. He tried to calm himself while glancing outside of the window again; the red and blue lights of a police car flooded the driveway sending a jolt of panic through his body.

He immediately rushed to the door and opened it to reveal Monica clinging on to dear life to the waist of a police officer who had his jacket around her in order to shield her from the cold winter air. She didn't even look up when Alfred ushered her in, she kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

She remained shaking in shock as Alfred talked to the police officer and got the report from the man. The butler turned away when he had received all of the information and closed the door behind him.

He turned to look at her traumatized form, she didn't even offer an excuse like he had been expecting. He shook his head and walked over to her as she flinched when he reached out to her.

"Come, we must get you out of those clothes," he commented leading her back to her room. She followed without a single word of protest which irked the butler even more. His uniform became damp in the short time that he wrapped an arm around her small frame; it made him wonder how she could wear her wet clothes when it was freezing outside.

Still, he felt pity towards her. Out of all the people to run into in Gotham she had crossed paths with Scarecrow. The butler repressed a shudder at the mere thought of the despicable man.

Alfred merely wondered what she had seen in her hallucination.

He brushed the thought aside and waited outside the door to her room while she changed. He knocked when he had waited long and entered knowing she was done before leading her over to the large living room.

He turned up the roaring fire and turned to fetch some blankets. Monica merely stared at the flames, fear still apparent in her eyes. She kept waiting for Scarecrow to come out of nowhere and finish what he had started; the horrifying images wouldn't leave her.

She jumped in horror when she heard someone behind her only to find Alfred setting down several fur blankets by the fireplace. It was only then that he noticed the purple bruise on her right cheek, his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He dismissed it for now; he did not wish to upset her further by bringing the subject up.

"_He _isn't here Miss Van Buren, if that is what is troubling you," he told her in a steady voice. She turned to look at him for the first time. Alfred then understood why she had retreated so far into herself, Scarecrow was to blame.

She looked around nervously with her arms around her shaking frame before settling down against the blankets that had been provided for her. She curled up into something she distinguished as wolf fur and looked at Alfred still unsure of herself.

"I will not leave, Miss Van Buren," he reassured her as she curled up into a ball and hugged the blanket closer. Alfred couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from the woman shivering on the sofa. Her fiery spirit had been reduced into an unstable mess in one night.

He merely hoped she would be presentable for tomorrow when Bruce was around.

Alfred frowned however when his eyes landed on the bruise that her dark hair barely managed to hide. That would be difficult to explain; in fact he wanted an explanation himself. He was about to question her about it when he noticed she had fallen asleep amongst the mass of blankets.

Alfred sighed and settled down on the armchair next to her, he was not looking forward to tomorrow in the very least. He spent the whole night awake taking care of her; she tossed and turned occasionally mumbling incoherent things which troubled the butler.

Much to his relief she had calmed by the time Bruce arrived undoing his tie as he stepped through the door and slammed it shut. Alfred stood up immediately and threw a pointed look towards him as Bruce paused and looked at him questioningly.

"Master Wayne, she is sleeping…the least you can do is avoid disturbing her," Alfred commented as Bruce stepped forward to see what his butler was talking about. He smirked at the sight of her lost in the mass of expensive furs.

"It's not that late, is it?" he questioned rolling his shoulders as Alfred shook his head hopelessly.

"Master Wayne, it is four o clock in the morning," he informed the billionaire as Bruce grimaced. He had a meeting to attend to at eight. So much for a good night's sleep.

He followed after his butler upon seeing the old man head into the kitchen. He was going to need a good cup of coffee to keep him up for the rest of the day. He sat at the dining room table; the Brazilian rosewood surface did little to entertain him while he waited.

"Master Wayne, a rather disturbing event has been brought to my attention," Alfred started after Bruce had finished with his coffee. The playboy glanced up at his butler in concern, if it bothered Alfred it was surely something worth looking into. "It appears Scarecrow is back, sir," the butler informed him as Bruce recoiled and stared hard at Alfred. "The mob is getting restless and Joker has not shown himself for quite a while," the old man added which only concerned Bruce more.

It was just a matter of time until a spark set off a series of events, Bruce had a feeling Joker had been waiting for something like that to make his move.

His mind, however, was soon torn away from the clown prince of crime when sniffling reached his ears. He had heard the sound too many times to mistake it now; he rose from the table without Alfred noticing and walked into the living room once more.

He peered down at Monica and instantly saw what was wrong, she had her eyes closed shut as if trying to escape from something, her body tossed and squirmed as tears streamed down the side of her face. Bruce reached down and took her shoulders before he started to shake her gently.

"Hey, wake up," he told her gently as she continued to struggle against him. His frown deepened when he noticed she wasn't waking, he shook her a little harder before her eyes flew open. Her horrified chocolate eyes locked with his own confused blue orbs, she backed away from him and nearly fell off the couch in her attempt to distance herself from him.

The confusion in Bruce's eyes however soon turned to seething rage when they landed on the right side of her face. The purple bruise hidden underneath her black hair caused his frown to turn into a sneer.

Alfred walked in just as Bruce got up from the couch and stopped when the playboy turned to look at him demandingly.

"Cancel the meeting for today, Alfred," the billionaire spoke calmly as he rose from the couch. Monica's startled eyes flickered between him and the butler as both men stared at each other in silent understanding.

"Very well, Master Wayne," Alfred told him before bowing and walking out of the room once more.

Monica glanced up in fear at Bruce; she hadn't planned on letting him see anything. Everything was going wrong for her.

She sunk in further when she remembered Scarecrow, last night's events had left her shaken, the last thing she wanted was to be yelled at by the billionaire before her.

"Who?" he asked in a monotone voice as her eyes closed.

She registered tears streaming down her face as she opened her mouth to answer him. Nothing came out; she was horrified of his reaction.

She didn't want to rat on Judas.

That was the last thought she registered before she completely broke down and cried.

She flinched when he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, she couldn't stand it anymore.

She wasn't cut out for this.

**Any ideas for Bruce's reaction? Throw em at me! Review :D**


	14. Once Upon Another Time

**Once Upon Another Time**

**A/N: So sorry for the long wait! I would have updated this a week ago but my dog somehow managed to chew the wires of my router and left me internetless Is that even a word? -_-' Side note to some of you guys: **

**allthelovers: He'll get back at Scarecrow, he still dosent know about Judas :D all in good time **

**Ravenclaw992: Ah I love it when you guys take the time to review some of the chapter along the way, glad you're liking it so far and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. **

**Silent: I want another paragraph -_- lmfao just kidding, and yes I did see Bale at the awards ;D Oh and there's a bit of her background in this one just so you dont get confused anymore lmao**

**England101: "Bruce will probably go plot in the lair until dark..." that made me crack up so much, you practially made my day :D Sadly he didnt go and plot until the sun rose over Gotham, but I hope this chapter dosent disappoint. **

**Enjoy!**

"Master Wayne, perhaps now is not the best time to question her," Alfred suggested as Bruce glanced at the woman on the couch. It had been over an hour and he still hadn't managed to get anything out of her.

Monica watched him through watery eyes trying to keep her composure as he nodded to his butler and stood from the couch beside her. She uttered a shaky sigh and rested her head against the mass of fur that she had wrapped around her while she watched him leave.

She wanted to tell him, she truly did, but the fear that gripped her every time that she thought of Judas and Scarecrow was enough to keep her silent.

She could feel her life crumbling around her, her men were still out of work, she was living in someone else's house, her parlor had been blown sky high, and all she could do was sit there and cry like an idiot.

She dropped her head slightly and grimaced at that. Had her father still been alive he would have been scolding her for being so helpless. She felt like things couldn't possibly get any worse, she shook the thought off when she remembered the city that she was living in.

She felt horrible staying with Bruce and Alfred, the mere thought of the butler running around to serve her every need sickened her. The fact that Bruce would spend ridiculous amounts of money in order to provide her with the most expensive meals she had ever had caused her to frown at herself when she realized how unworthy she was of all of it.

She dropped her head once more and drifted off into a restless sleep. The few hours that she did manage to get in only seemed to tire her more. She tried several times to go back to sleep but failed miserably, having made up her mind she settled on finding Alfred. She needed someone to talk to in order to get her mind off of things.

She slowly unraveled herself from the wolf pelt she had around herself and stared at the fire briefly before bracing herself and standing up. She swayed in her spot briefly before she regained her balance and headed towards the kitchen.

She used the walls as support, with her mind as troubled as it was the last thing she could possibly concentrate on was walking.

Her head swam with images of her father sitting on his Harley with his leather jacket on telling her to be strong to fight for what she wanted; she could see her brother in his uniform cleaning his gun after a long day of work telling her everything would be ok…that everything would work out.

She shook the memories away, her father was dead. Her brother couldn't be watching over her shoulder to make sure she would stay safe wherever she went.

She paused when she entered the large kitchen and saw Bruce there.

She had been expecting to find only Alfred; she turned to leave only to have the billionaire call her back.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost," he called back to her as she stopped and looked over her shoulder.

She glanced at him briefly, the sight of the billionaire sitting there did startle her, it was only then that she noticed he wasn't dressed in an expensive suit or pricey garment.

The fact that he was wearing black sweats and a grey V-neck shirt threw her off for a few moments, his black hair was a mess much like hers, come to think of it she wasn't in the position to be criticizing his look when she looked like a mess herself.

"Sit down, I don't bite," he told her motioning towards the seat across from him with a smile that came naturally to him. She stared at him briefly before settling down in front of him, she couldn't find it in herself to project a happier version of herself.

"I suppose you've perfected that smile of yours by now," she commented blankly playing with the table salt by tossing it back and forth between her hands. Bruce immediately pulled back and dropped his smile if only for a moment, she wasn't stupid.

"You're a smart girl," he told her taking a sip of his coffee before resting back on the chair and observing her. She managed to keep herself entertained with the salt but she could still feel his burning gaze on her, it was starting to unnerve her.

"And you're a smart boy," she told him as Bruce chuckled, she had humor after all. "Then again, you'd have to be in order to pull off the whole playboy thing, wouldn't you?" she asked him keeping her eyes away from him.

He tilted his head ever so slightly to stare at the woman in front of him, no one had ever dared talk to him in that manner, it was a change he hadn't been expecting. Had it been any other woman he would have already have them melting in front of him.

"I suppose you are right," he laughed placing the mug in front of him as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair in exhaustion. Much like her he hadn't had enough sleep either. "Are you feeling any better today?" he asked before he could stop himself.

She failed to catch the salt as it fell on the table with a soft thud; she quickly picked it up with a frown and placed her hands in her lap in order to stop herself from looking more foolish.

"I-I'm feeling better," she lied managing weak smile before it disappeared as soon as it came, "I'm so sorry about the salt," she murmured looking up at him briefly.

His eyes, she paused slightly as her mind tried to recall where she had seen them before, they seemed so familiar to her. She pushed her thoughts aside and looked down once more in shame, she couldn't stop looking like a child for more than five minutes, she had already spilt the salt…what else could possibly go wrong?

Bruce softened his gaze on her as he noticed how nervous and uncomfortable he was making her by staring. The bruise on her right cheek, however, was making the task extremely difficult.

"It's of no bother, I'll have Alfred take care of it," he told her dismissing the incident with a wave of his hand. Her eyes instantly shot up and locked with his own, she couldn't help but frown. She was nothing but a burden; she wondered how much the butler had already done for her.

"I can clean it," she told him hurriedly rising from the table much quicker than he could have anticipated. He couldn't help but smirk when the realization finally him, she didn't want to bother Alfred, she thought she was just a problem for them.

"There is no need for that, Miss Van Buren," Alfred's voice told her as she turned to look at the butler who was already walking towards them with a cleaning cloth in his hand. "Why don't you go and freshen up before your brother arrives?" he suggested as he wiped the salt off of the table in a collected manner.

Monica's eyes widened upon hearing what the butler had just said, they shot over to look at Bruce who was calmly sipping his coffee again.

"What?" she asked panicking as both men looked at her in concern.

"I called your brother, he should be aware of everything that's happened over the last few days," Bruce replied staring at her trying to read her expression.

"No, he can't find out about anything!" she told them as fear griped her, the mere thought of having her brother find out that she had gotten herself into another mess horrified her. The bruise that Judas had left would be hard to explain as well, she wasn't in the mood for an argument.

"He can't know…he can't," she begged them before she started to hyperventilate. Bruce looked to Alfred once more in concern before standing and trying to calm her down. The doctor had been very clear, she couldn't handle any strong emotions or events, it would only upset her more.

"He has to know, he's your brother," Bruce told her as she shook her head and swayed in her spot, Bruce moved forward as she held on to his arm for support.

"You don't understand…he can't kn-" she told him before she fainted and fell forward into his arms. Bruce held her up and looked to Alfred; the butler merely shook his head and motioned for Bruce to follow him.

"I am afraid we have upset her greatly, Master Wayne," Alfred commented as he opened the door to her room before Bruce entered and placed her on the bed. He glanced around and noticed Alfred had left, he turned to look at her once more and frowned.

He turned her head gently concealing the bruise before Alfred walked in with fur pelts and placed them around her unconscious form. Bruce looked at his butler questioningly as the older man smiled at the billionaire.

"She finds comfort in them, Master Wayne," he told the Bruce who still couldn't understand his butler's reasoning, "some women prefer to be showered in gifts, others prefer to have money handed to them, and others prefer to have diamonds adorning them," Alfred continued before looking down at Monica. "She finds fur comforting, it makes her feel safe, protected," he added as the billionaire nodded in understanding.

He frowned when he noticed what type of animals she was curled up in.

"Alfred, make sure to purchase better quality furs, polar bear, grizzly bear, wolf, anything that is considered exquisite," Bruce told his butler as he walked out of the room calmly. "I will not have a guest sleeping on fox pelts, they are far too common, make sure that they are donated to someone who truly needs them," he added before leaving Alfred to his duties.

The butler merely stared after his master with a light smirk tugging at the edges of his lips; it was the first time he had ever been sent out on an errand of this kind.

Alfred turned and headed in a different direction no doubt to fulfill his tasks as Bruce found his way back to the kitchen. He was about to sit down when the doorbell rang loudly, he paused slightly waiting for Alfred to get it when he realized that his butler was no longer there.

Bruce sighed before rising from the table and walking over to the door, he knew who it was and he wasn't looking forward to explaining everything that had occurred over the last few hours.

He opened the large door to reveal Dante standing in the doorway looking irritated already, the billionaire rolled his eyes at the image of the man in front of him.

"Trying to pull of the biker look today, Dante?" he teased as the other snorted in disgust at the billionaire.

"Trying to pull off the common citizen look, Bruce?" Dante shot back eyeing what the billionaire was wearing. Bruce merely smirked back at the officer he had known for years, he stepped aside and let him through.

"She's sleeping, don't wake her," Bruce warned as he let Dante in to his sister's room. The police officer stepped in cautiously and walked over to Monica's unmoving body on the immense bed. He sighed as he sat next to her and gently ran his hand over her hair while pushing it back to reveal her calm expression.

Bruce uttered a sigh of relief when he realized she hadn't stirred and flipped over to her right side, that would have spilled disaster for both of them.

After assuring Dante that his sister was fine Bruce led him to the living room where he took a seat on one of the couches while Dante took a seat across from him. Bruce had to hold back a smirk when he realized that he and his sister mimicked each other perfectly, he was just as impatient and fidgety as she was.

"I assume you did not call me here to watch her sleep," Dante commented crossing his arms over his chest, Bruce shook his head and eased his body up readying himself for what was to come.

"I assume you are familiar with the one they call 'Scarecrow'?" Bruce asked as Dante's gaze immediately shot to his. "She ran into him a few nights ago, you can imagine what occurred during their little encounter… she's been going on about rats ever since," Bruce continued pausing slightly. He knew he had lied about the day when it had happened but that was irrelevant as of now. "I can imagine that her phobia involves more that the mere rodent that thrives in this city," Bruce finalized looking at Dante who had suddenly retreated greatly.

A shadow fell over his face as he stared at the billionaire grimly.

"I am going to tell you this only because you are one of the few people I trust in this damn city," Dante started tapping his biker boot against the floor nervously feeling the memories rush back. "Our parents were bikers…outlaw bikers," he told Bruce as the playboy listened intently. "As you can imagine they had their enemies, one night the devil came knocking at their door," Dante stopped briefly and held back tears of rage as he remembered that night.

Bruce stared at the police officer in front of him; he could already tell where this was headed.

"They were gunned down in their own bar along with everyone in it," Dante growled cracking his knuckles and pausing again. "Monica…she, she walked in when the bastards were leaving," he continued biting down on the inside of his cheek to repress the anger that rose up whenever he remembered what had happened. "They didn't want to waste any more bullets so they dragged her into a small room where they kept the liquor…they threw her in there with a large black bag before slamming the door shut and locking it," Dante choked as his lip curled into a sneer.

"There were rats in the bag, hungry rats," he continued as Bruce's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. "She sat there in the dark hearing them scamper around knowing they would chew their way through eventually, all she would do was wait," Dante told the billionaire as Bruce shook his head in disgust towards the men who had done that to her. "She was only 16 when it happened…16, Bruce," Dante told him as Bruce resisted the urge to gag at the mere thought of anyone doing that to another human being.

"I could hear her screaming when I drove up in my motorcycle along with the rest of my squad, the room she was in was at the end of the bar and I could hear her clear as day…screaming for help," he added as he held back the tears of rage that pooled in his eyes. Bruce couldn't believe what he was hearing, how could she look at life so positively after that had been done to her?

"By the time I got her out she had bite marks everywhere, the rats had had their fun, I couldn't shield her from looking at the bodies of our dead parents and cover her wounds at the same time, I chose the latter," he growled clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white."She hasn't been able to shake the images of their bodies lying in a pool of their own blood with bullet wounds everywhere," Dante hissed referring to their parents before shifting on the couch. "The scars that the rodents left on her have all faded by now, they're barely noticeable…but the trauma of being locked in a dark room with the filthy rats hasn't gone away, she's 23 now and she still fears the damn things she can't even stand the sight of them on TV," he confessed as Bruce nodded slowly.

It all made sense now.

"I haven't been able to forget about that night either, I still bear the scars that the damn animals left when I was pulling her out," Dante told him pulling up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a skull with roses. Bruce stared at it intently before the police officer pointed out the small bite marks that were scattered across the petals of the flower and in the eye sockets of the skull. The billionaire grimaced before Dante pulled his arm back and rolled his sleeve back down. "She did the tattoo for me, I couldn't bear to look down at my arm every day when it reminded me of my failure as a brother and as a cop," he confessed sinking back into the leather couch. "The ink comforts me since she was the one who did it, but the memory of her expression when she was tattooing it torments me still."

Bruce couldn't believe everything he had just heard, it amazed him that she was still able to smile after that ordeal. He sat there and listened intently as Dante continued to tell him about that night, the further the police officer explained the more he found himself fascinated by the woman sleeping a few rooms away.

"Our house isn't exactly suitable anymore, Joker knows where we live and if he knows half of Gotham probably knows as well," Dante pointed out as Bruce nodded in agreement.

"It's best if she were to remain with us for the time being," Bruce realized finishing the sentence for the police officer. Both men looked at each other before Dante's phone went off, he excused himself and stood from the couch before walking away to take the call.

"I have to go, I finally got something on Joker," Dante told him grabbing his jacket and heading towards the door. Bruce followed after him and opened the door for him as the young police officer stepped through hurriedly.

"Watch yourself, Dante," Bruce warned him as the other man turned to look at him, "if you dance with the devil you'll endanger yourself and those around you."

"I've been dancing with him my whole life, Bruce," he replied before turning and heading down the large driveway towards his motorcycle.

Bruce shook his head and closed the door. As Batman he had once thought that himself, until it got Rachel killed. He closed his eyes and headed towards the kitchen once more to wait for Alfred's return.

He merely hoped that Dante knew what he was doing, from personal experience he knew Joker wasn't one to be taken lightly or messed with. All he could do for now was watch over Monica and keep her away from the psychopaths that called the streets their home.

Bruce rolled his shoulders and tried to ease his tense muscles before he started to look through the various kitchen cabinets.

He was going to need a strong cup of coffee to get him through the day.

He glanced out of the window while the machine poured the dark liquid into his mug. He took it and sipped it once more before setting it down and closing his eyes briefly.

He turned on the TV in the kitchen and listened as the news reporter ranted on about another bank robbery. He realized he had been away from the city too long, the crime rate was starting to spiral out of control.

Scarecrow and Joker had to be stopped before the situation grew worse. The clown wouldn't get his wish; the city would not go down in flames as long as it had its caped crusader. Nor would it cower in fear from Scarecrow's hallucinogen.

There was a sudden chill that spread through Bruce as he realized something, he could stop Joker...he had already done it once the same could be said for Scarecrow. The thought of them joining forces the second time around suddenly made its way into his mind. If that happened he would find himself fighting two evils instead of one.

He merely hoped they wouldn't realize that.

Joker wasnt an idiot, neither was Scarecrow. In fact they were probably some of the smartest men he had ever crossed paths with. It was only a matter of time until it became obvious to them, Bruce could only hope that their differences would be enough to keep them from working together.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Monica would play a role in all of it, why else would their paths have crossed now and in such a manner?

He took another sip of coffee before turning the TV off, he had heard enough.

Gotham needed Batman, now more than ever.

**Review!**


	15. You Belong to Me

**You Belong to Me  
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**A/N: Well, I took longer in updating so I decided to make this chappie longer, enjoy!  
><strong>

**Silent:It might not look like it yet, but it will be JokexOC ;D  
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It had been over a month since the incident with Scarecrow and things were barely starting to go back to normal. Monica even found it in herself to drop her guard for once and rest for a while, her sleep however was interrupted by the old butler shaking her shoulder.

"Miss Van Buren," Alfred whispered trying not to startle her too much as he shook her gently once more. The woman beneath him starting to stir as she picked her head up from the pillow it had been resting on.

She cracked open one eye and turned it to look tiredly at the butler in front of her. She let out a yawn as Alfred stepped back and allowed her to stretch.

"Did I oversleep?" Monica asked sleepily as Alfred resisted the urge to laugh at the woman before him. If waking up at five in the afternoon wasn't oversleeping he didn't know what was. He resisted the urge to point that fact out before he remembered why he had disturbed her in the first place.

"Master Wayne has instructed me to take you to the city today, he mentioned something about the matter but I believe it has slipped my mind," Alfred told her as she picked her head up and stared at sun that was beginning to set over the large buildings in Gotham.

Truth be told, Alfred hadn't forgotten what Bruce had told him. He merely kept it to himself; he knew if he told the woman in front of him she would decline to go. He hadn't woken her before merely because he knew she deserved to rest, she had been through too much, sleep was something he knew would benefit her and decrease her stress.

"Oh god, I slept too much!" Monica exclaimed throwing the covers aside in a mad rush and while trying to get out of bed. Her feet, however, got tangled up in the mess of sheets as she stood abruptly but crashed down in a matter of seconds upon tripping over the covers.

She groaned in pain before Alfred leaned over and freed her legs from the tangled mess, she gave him a thankful nod before picking herself up and rushing about the room. She managed to grab some clothes out of her suitcase before walking into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind her.

Alfred shook his head in dismay, she had reminded him so much of Bruce, the butler's mornings were always like that. The billionaire under his charge often rushed about trying to compose himself minutes before he was expected to be at a meeting.

She emerged, her face flushed at the pure speed in which she had changed and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Alfred glanced at her briefly noting her dark apparel; he nodded to her as she looked at him for approval.

Her biker boots echoed against the halls as she walked beside Alfred who led her to the garage, a calm silence surrounding the pair. The butler opened the door leading into the place where they kept the cars as Monica's jaw dropped open upon entering.

She was used to seeing the playboy ride in expensive cars by now but standing in his garage made her feel rather incompetent and small when compared to Bruce. Sports cars of every model and year were lined up one right after the other on one side of the room while the more luxurious cars remained on the opposite side.

"Shall we depart, Miss Van Buren?" Alfred asked unfazed by the room in which he found himself in. He had seen it far too many times to be awed by it now. He walked over to his preferred car, a Rolls Royce, before taking the keys out and unlocking the door.

The butler glanced back and noted Monica was slowly following behind him, her head turning every time a car caught her attention. She bumped into the back of the Rolls Royce upon being distracted and composed herself after an embarrassed blush settled on her cheeks.

She settled down into the seat next to his and folded her hands onto her lap afraid of touching anything, she felt rather miniscule and pathetic sitting next to the butler who drove the car with a calm grace that never seized to a maze her.

"The car will not break if you touch it, Miss Van Buren," Alfred pointed out noticing her body sitting stiffly in the passenger's seat. She glanced at him in embarrassment once more before turning away while looking out of the tinted window.

"The most expensive car I ever had was a 1979 Trans Am," she confessed looking at the butler as Alfred's lip tugged upward into a smirk. He recalled the black and gold car sitting in the garage, it seemed she had the same taste as Bruce did, he would have to show her when they got back.

"Master Bruce has one as well, black with a golden eagle on the hood if I remember correctly," Alfred replied as Monica's eyes lit up. She smiled as memories of her father surfaced in her mind, he had been the one to give her the car, she had treasured it greatly.

"Mine was black too," she commented with a slight laugh as Alfred turned to look at her briefly. She had started to open up to him over the past month; she had begun to forget all about the criminals in the city that had lurked in the shadows.

Alfred pulled up next to a large tattoo parlor which caught Monica's eyes. Her brow rose slightly in admiration at the sheer size and location before she whistled clearly impressed with whoever owned the large building.

She noticed Alfred had gotten out of the car; she followed his lead as they both stood outside the large parlor shivering when a cold gust of wind danced through them.

"Here to get a tattoo, Alfred?" Monica teased noticing the windows of the shop were tinted black, she couldn't see inside. The butler next to her let out a small laugh, one that only the wind could have heard as he stepped forward once more, the woman behind him following with interest.

"Hardly, Miss Van Buren," Alfred replied taking another set of keys out of his pocket before he started to open the shop much to Monica's surprise. She watched as the butler turned the ruby knob and stepped inside motioning for her to follow.

She stepped inside and jumped when the door slammed shut behind her, she was left in complete darkness for a few seconds before lights flickered on blinding her temporarily. She closed her eyes in irritation as she heard Alfred move once more.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked around in wonder, the shop was deserted. She would have expected to see it teeming with customers due to its size and image. She stared dumbfounded at Alfred who stood in the middle of the parlor with a smile on his face.

"Where is everybody?" Monica asked stupefied before the butler shook his head at her questioning look.

"Waiting for the grand opening, Miss Van Buren," Alfred told her as she nodded in understanding. She had to give it to the owner; this would be one hell of a place to compete with.

"Who owns all of this?" she asked as she looked at the leather chairs and stations that held quality items ready to be used. The shop was ready, all it needed was customers. Tattoo guns stared back at her as she examined one of the stations and turned her back on Alfred to examine them better.

She ran a hand through the bottles of different colored ink that rested on the table before moving on to the melted candles that rested beside them for decoration. Her hand seemed to ghost over the tattoo chair before her, she missed her job dearly; it had been ages since she had gotten to ink someone.

"It all belongs to you, Miss Van Buren," the butler informed her as she knocked over a bottle of black ink in shock. She straightened herself up before placing the ink back where it belonged and stepped away from everything cautiously.

Alfred stared at her blankly; he knew the reaction he would be getting from her the moment Bruce had told him of his little present for her.

"No," she replied sternly turning to look at him, "I don't deserve any of this," she added stepping further away from the bottles of ink and needles. Her eyes scanned the shop; they had taken their time in decorating and supplying the parlor.

It was too much.

"Miss Van Buren-" Alfred started before she cut him off.

"No, Alfred," she murmured in denial, "how much did he spend on all of this?" she asked regretfully knowing she hadn't even paid for the space much less everything in it. It didn't feel right, the parlor before her was everything she could have ever wished for, the fact that she hadn't paid a single dollar for it weighed down on her reminding her of how useless she truly was.

"The price should not concern you," the butler replied sensing the internal turmoil within the woman before him, "and do not think of paying Master Wayne back, he would frown upon it," Alfred added as Monica's gaze dropped to the floor once more.

"Why?" she asked quietly looking around, she knew Bruce had probably spent a lot on this place, her mind couldn't reason with his own, what had she done to deserve something like this?

"I do not know, Miss Van Buren," Alfred told her as she nodded grimly, "perhaps you should ask him yourself when he comes home tonight," the old man told her as she glanced up at him once more. She nodded before she rose her hand to cover her mouth in pure shock upon realizing what Bruce had just given her.

"He shouldn't have spent all of this money on me," she whispered, her words laced with guilt as Alfred walked over to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. She didn't pull away as he led her towards the door once more shutting off the lights behind him.

She had seen the place, he had completed Bruce's request. He didn't need her to blame herself any more than she was already doing by remaining in the tattoo parlor.

Monica paused once she was outside and noticed the train station that rattled over her head, she turned towards the parlor and then dropped her gaze on Alfred.

"Is it too much to ask if I could ride the train back to my house?" she asked as the butler turned his critical eyes on the tracks above them. His mind pondered her request, the station was usually filled with people at this time, he saw no harm in letting her go.

She probably needed some time by herself to think about what she had just been given; his presence would only distract her. Perhaps a trip home was the only thing she needed to clear her head; it had been a while since she had been allowed to go back.

"It's only ten minutes from here," she begged upon seeing Alfred's brow furrow in thought.

"Very well, Miss Van Buren, make sure to call as soon as you arrive," he told her as she nodded and turned waving goodbye at him before ascending the metal stairs that led to the arriving train. She rushed past several people on the steps before paying a small fee and entering the station.

She slipped through the gliding doors of the train before seating herself at the far end of the cart. She didn't bother in looking at the people that came in after her. She closed her eyes and sighed as she tried to calm herself, why was it that every time she started to get adjusted life threw an unexpected surprise at her?

She failed to notice the pair of men who took a seat near the doors, one of them pulling his coat around his frame in haste upon noticing his gun sticking out from his side. He glanced around making sure no one had seen before his eyes settled on the woman they had been sent to retrieve.

He nudged the man beside him and motioned over to her with a tilt of his head, his partner turned his gaze onto her as well before his hand fidgeted with the knife in his pocket. If the bitch tried to run or fight he wouldn't hesitate in slicing her throat open, he didn't care what his orders were. He needed to kill something, it didn't matter how, he just needed to feel fresh blood on his hands.

Monica glanced out of the window with a worried look as she stared at the buildings below them, her gaze shifting over to the pair of men who suddenly directed their gaze elsewhere upon being noticed.

"She's a pretty one, I wonder what the boss wants with her," one of the men commented running his tongue over his bottom lip in anticipation. His partner elbowed him warningly before resting is back on the back of the chair trying to look casual.

"The Joker killed Gambol," the other man added in a low voice, "the boss wants her in order to get to Joker," he added as the other man turned to look at him with interest.

"What does Gambol have to do with this?" he asked before Monica turned to look at them once more shifting in her seat uncomfortably wishing she would have brought something to defend herself with. The stares from the pair a few feet away from her were starting to unnerve her.

"He was the boss' brother," the other man replied nudging him before motioning over to the woman once more. They had to get her before the train reached the other station, preferably without her running away from them.

Just as they were standing to move over to her, however, the door dividing the cars slid open as several men with guns rushed in causing the people within to panic and stand abruptly.

Monica shot out of her seat when she saw this and shivered when she heard the chilling laughter that followed after the men had taken their positions. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand as Scarecrow stepped through the threshold of the door and look at her.

"My, how you've grown with popularity since the last time I heard your lovely screams," his distorted voice taunted her as she gripped the chair behind her with horror. He stepped forward offering his hand to her as her terrified eyes flew from his hand back up to his face.

"The men across from you were hired to kidnap you for a mob boss, they will kill you without a second though if you run," he warned her as she glanced at the pair from before. She knew something had been off about them, she wasn't about to trust Scarecrow either. "I, on the other hand, have my own reasons for coming for you," he told her as she glanced down at the hand he had outstretched for her.

She either went with the mobsters or Scarecrow; she couldn't decide which was worse.

Her body finally found the strength to move as she shot over towards the dividing door closest to her and opened it before stepping through hurriedly in an attempt to get away from the men that were after her. She didn't dare to look back, she could hear guns being fired behind her, several bullets whizzed by her head.

"Get her, bring her back alive!" Scarecrow barked at his men as they all ran after the woman, the pair of mobsters at the front already running after her before Scarecrow himself started to walk calmly in the direction she had sprinted off to. She would run out of places to hide in shortly, it was only a matter of time before she was in his possession.

Monica ran desperately through the carts as people threw her questioning glances before stepping out of the way in sudden understanding when armed men rushed after her in a mad chase. She tried to fight back the tears of panic that begged to fall from her eyes before she opened another door and rushed in only to run into another figure.

"Well hello, beautiful," a laughing voice ran through her ears as she looked up at the man she had bumped into. Her confused eyes met his laughing chocolate orbs; her frown was countered by his permanent smile.

She could hear gunfire from a few cars behind the one in which she found herself in, she drew back when she heard it come closer. She felt a crushing force wrap around her wrist before she cried out in pain, the Joker merely pulled her over to him and held her to his chest with one hand.

She glanced back frozen in horror when he pulled out a small machine gun with his free hand and aimed it at the door waiting patiently humming a tune to himself. She could feel his chest vibrate behind her after every note; it was only then that she noticed how close she was to the insane clown.

Her body tried to step away from him only to have his hand constrict her wrist further, she winced in pain and squirmed up against him as the gunfire reached the car in front of them.

She heard his neck crack as he tilted his head sideways and rolled his shoulders in anticipation; a sadistic smile stretched his scarred lips as the people in the car with them stared at the pair in horror.

"Gotta' do everything yourself these days," she heard him growl in agitation before the door flung open revealing Scarecrow's men slaughtering the goons that had tried to stop them from reaching the Joker.

The clown merely cackled at the sight before letting loose a stream of bullets upon the remaining men in the previous car, he had no aim whatsoever, his bullets hit his goons and Scarecrow's men before they all collapsed on the floor of the train in a puddle of their own blood.

Monica stared at the bodies in shock before realizing that he had used her as a shield the whole time, if any bullet would have made it through it would have hit her instead of him. She couldn't fathom his reason for not releasing her when both his men and the enemies lay in a bloody heap.

She realized the clown behind her had killed his own men without hesitation, that only made her realize how dispensable she was. She tried to get away once more before he pulled her closer to him, his grip tightening to the point where she uttered a moan of pain.

"Joker," a voice called out eerily as the clown behind her tilted his head once more at the new arrival. The gun in his hand remained pointed at the entrance; Monica was amazed that she was keeping her composure after the massacre she had just seen.

"Crow," the clown muttered behind her before laughing lightly and easing his grip on the gun.

Sure enough Scarecrow stepped through the threshold of the train car, his head tilted to the side in interest at the man behind Monica.

"Give me the girl and I'll leave," Scarecrow demanded, his mask twisting his voice as Monica shivered once more and backed up out of pure instinct. The clown glanced down at the woman briefly upon feeling her retreat into his hold, his interest peaked.

"Where would the fun be if I did that?"' the Joker replied running his tongue over the inside of his cheek, his scar burning slightly as he did so. The man in front of him tensed, clearly unhappy with his response which earned a laugh from the clown behind Monica. "Come now, Crow," the clown teased, "why so serious?" he asked with a twisted smile on his lips.

The two men stared at each other daring one another to make a move, if a fight were to break out between the two it would certainly be a bloodbath. Monica couldn't help but struggle against the clown in fear upon finding herself stuck in between the men.

"Give me the woman and everyone walks out of here alive," Scarecrow told him as the Joker's smile grew wider.

He rose his gun and pulled the trigger, the man who had been sitting beside him fell forward with a bullet through his skull. Monica flinched when she felt blood splatter on her cheek, her body freezing up on her again.

"Don't we make a lovely couple?" the Joker asked her once he saw her reaction as he ran a gloved hand across her cheek smearing the blood into a smile just like his own. Monica shuddered in disgust as he traced her lips with his gloved fingers leaving blood on them. "What makes ya' think I care about these uh, people?" Joker asked turning his attention from Monica back onto Scarecrow who stood dumbfounded before the clown.

He had never met anyone quite like him; it was only then that he realized his mistake. He had underestimated the clown, he didn't have enough men with him and his supplies weren't in his possession at the time. His eyes glanced over at the dead man at the Joker's feet, so much for using the citizens against him.

Before either of them could utter another word the train lurched to a stop sending their bodies flying forward. Monica gasped waiting to hit the floor; instead her fall was softened by the body beneath her. The Joker groaned when he felt someone land on him, the breath knocked out of his lungs as he opened his eyes as he tried to focus on the body resting on his.

Monica opened her eyes in shock, she had never felt the harsh floor beneath her, instead she could feel the steady rise and fall of the clown's chest beneath her. She pulled back shaking her head trying to focus before she noticed the smeared make up on his face.

A patch of cream could be spotted beneath the white grease makeup near his jaw. She pulled back her hand upon feeling something on her cheek only to notice that his makeup had smeared her own face. She grimaced before the body beneath her shifted.

She quickly picked herself up noticing they had arrived at her station and headed towards the opening doors with the rest of the panicked people within the car before a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.

She was slammed up against one of the windows of the train as she blinked trying to make her blurred vision disappear, the Joker 's scarred lips coming into view as he leaned down to meet her eyes.

"There's a point to my uh-visit," his voice echoed through her mind as her head spun uncontrollably. "Where's my knife, doll?" he asked demandingly as her eyes narrowed in confusion. Her blood ran cold upon remembering the silver knife that she had left back at the mansion.

"I-I don't have it with me," she stuttered as his eyes blazed upon hearing her response, he had been tracking her every move over the past few weeks only to have her forget his precious knife. The emotion in them, however, was quickly replaced with amusement once he saw the white makeup on her cheek. It mixed with the blood from before creating a pink shade on her face that amused him to no extent.

"I recommend you keep it safe, I want it back," he told her clicking his tongue as his lips drew back into a smile once more, "ya' might wanna start carrying it with you, ya' never know who you might run into," he added biting the inside of his cheek out of habit, he resisted the urge to wince before releasing the woman in his grip and stepping towards Scarecrow's unmoving body on the floor of the train car.

The clown stared at the unconscious man before him before chuckling to himself and crouching next to him noticing he was starting to come to.

"Listen, Crow," the Joker whispered to him noticing Monica creeping towards the door. He made no move to stop her as she exited the car and raced down the stairs leading to the streets before the cops arrived. He shook his head in amusement, how she managed to land herself in these situations never sized to amaze him.

If it wasn't for him she'd be in a warehouse right about now getting tortured for information by a mob boss. He wouldn't have his toy being tossed around when he needed her alive to proceed with his plan.

"She's mine," the clown growled into the other man's ear, his smile widening when he recalled the 'J' that he had carved onto her collarbone. He grabbed the other man's head and slammed his face down onto the floor to get his point across; he didn't like others messing with his belongings.

The other man groaned registering the pain briefly before the clown released him. He had clearly underestimated them man above him, he hadn't expected the girl to get away. He could feel his blood seeping through the mask from his broken nose; he didn't make a move to stop the clown.

"I know everything that happens in this city, if anything happens to my little squeeze I will take my knife and start carving this pretty little sack on your head until your face matches the pumpkins that your kind are known to watch over," he giggled into Scarecrow's ear before standing.

People were starting to gather around the train, their scared eyes looking at the pair of criminals that remained inside the car. It wouldn't be long until the police arrived, he couldn't afford to stay any longer.

He turned away from Scarecrow before he stepped on something that made him halt and glance down. A cracked phone stared up at him; he picked it up and held it up to his face briefly before realizing it was Monica's upon seeing her purse lying a few feet away from him.

His hand grabbed the black leather purse as he passed by before stepping out of the car leaving Scarecrow to recover by himself. The purse found itself being rested on the clown's shoulder as he walked towards the crowd who parted and dove out of his way.

The purse did little to diminish his dangerous look, in fact with it on his shoulder he somehow looked more deadly than before. He shook the strange feeling that settled over him when he glanced down at the bag before he descended the stairs of the station, he would have time to go through it later.

The fact that his little chess piece was unharmed for now pleased him, he would not stand for any imbeciles harming her, that was his job. He was the one who would break her, not some mobster or Scarecrow.

He needed her alive if Gotham was going to go down in flames, for now everything was going according to plan.

He turned sharply into an alley; sure enough a car was waiting for him. He skipped slightly over to it and opened the door before throwing himself over the backseat and stretching like a cat.

"Let's go before the Bat comes out to play," the clown ordered as the driver nodded and proceeded in driving away from the crime scene that lay behind them. The clown prince of crime rested against the cushioned backseats before he pulled out a deck of cards and shuffled them endlessly, his thoughts running wild.

A piece of paper sticking out from the purse however caught his attention, his purple gloved hand wrapped around the small card before flipping it over in order for him to see.

The dim lighting that the street lamps provided was enough for him to get a good look at the name on the card, his blood boiled upon reading the name. His grip tightening as his hand shook with rage as he noticed several other cards in her purse.

Each of them held personal numbers and names scrawled onto the back in elegant fonts, his permanent smile being the only thing that prevented him from dipping his lips down further. He couldn't stand the aristocrats of Gotham, to have them looming over Monica like a pack of blood hounds disturbed the clown prince of crime. He wouldn't hesitate to carve their faces if so much as one man looked at her wrong, she didn't belong to anyone but him.

He stuffed the piece of paper back into the purse before the deck of cards that he had been holding in the other hand burst from his tight grip. A cascade of clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds rained down on him as his smile dropped considerably.

He had never dropped his cards like that, his head poked over the seat in which his body was sprawled upon only to find a lone joker staring up at him from the mass of cards that had scattered on the carpeted floor.

He picked up the card before twirling it in his right hand and placing her purse on the floor of the car as well, the urge to go through it suddenly gone.

He leaned back onto the side of the door before closing his eyes, his smile returning as he felt the familiar sting from the scars.

The first to go would be the pampered rich boys; after all, he had their addresses stored away in her purse.

Oh, he had so much work to do.

**Review!**


	16. Masquerade

**Masquerade**

**A/N: One review away from reaching 100! Enjoy my dears!**

The sound of running water plagued Monica's senses as she stared at her reflection grimly in the mirror. The white grease make up smeared on her cheek seemed to mock her, she frowned before running her hand over it in a hurry to get it off. She heard the door downstairs slam shut seconds before her brother appeared in the doorway still dressed in his uniform.

"When did you get here?" he asked in a hurry, his chest heaving which made Monica wonder if he had rushed back to their house. She had already thought up an explanation for everything, she had even lost track of how many times she had rehearsed it in her head.

"An hour ago, why?" she lied, putting on a fake smile upon glancing sideways at her cheek in the mirror. She uttered a sigh in her mind once she noticed that there wasn't a trace of the white make up on her skin.

"I just got informed that the Joker had been spotted downtown, I called Alfred and he mentioned you had gotten on the train to come back here," her brother explained as she nodded in understanding. Her conscience would probably haunt her for lying to her brother later but all she could do was pretend that this was all new to her.

"Oh, I see," she replied taking a towel from the rack to her right and drying her face, "I haven't had the pleasure of running into him, if that's why you're here," she added as the towel muffled her voice. Her mind silently thanked whatever force had ordered her to dry her face; at least with the towel in her hands she could hide the guilty look on her expression.

"Thank god, I'll call Alfred and let him know, he's been worried about you," Dante sighed walking away; Monica could hear his fading footsteps. She sighed and dropped the towel from her face before exiting from the bathroom and collapsing on her bed.

The clown's laughter still rung in her mind, the sound of bullets being fired after her replayed over and over in her ears, Scarecrow's chilling voice somehow managed to evoke shivers up and down her spine despite him not being there.

She groaned silently before rolling over and lying face down on the bed, her thoughts running wild with the latest developments. Surely after Dante found out that the mob was after her he wouldn't even let her step outside without guards surrounding her.

Her hand searched blindly beside her when she remembered she could have called Alfred herself to let him know she had gotten home safely. Monica picked her head up upon realizing that she hadn't found her phone, her body sprung up from the bed and raced over to the bathroom to check if she had left it there.

The familiar black smartphone was nowhere to be found, her panicked mind tried to remember where she had left it as she raced down the stairs skipping two at a time before she rammed into her brother. He caught her just in time and prevented a fall for both of them by swinging her around and setting her down on firm land.

"You look as if the devil were behind you," he laughed as she stared at him in annoyance before silently thanking him and rushing over to the living room. She continued to search desperately but found that her efforts were in vain when she remembered she was also missing her purse.

Her mouth dropped open upon remembering she had dropped it on the train. She cursed herself for being so stupid, if anyone found it her lie would surely come back to haunt her. Praying that someone had found it and brought it directly to her she headed into the kitchen to serve herself a glass of water to calm her nerves.

The glass was about to meet her lips when her brother appeared in the doorway once more with his own phone in the palm of his hand.

"Hey, Alfred's on the phone, he wants to talk to you to make sure you're ok," he told his sister before she jumped up in horror. The glass in her hand slipped and shattered on the marble counter beneath her, her startled chocolate eyes met with his own questioning grey orbs. "Are you ok?" Dante asked slightly unconvinced upon seeing her shaking hand collect the broken glass and toss it into the garbage can.

"I'm fine," she snapped taking the phone from his hand and walking away from him. He stared after her form with worried eyes before collecting the rest of the crystal shards that she had left behind. His mind couldn't fathom why she had reacted like that; he brushed the thought aside and continued the task at hand.

Monica merely held the phone to her ear before glancing out of the window, the grey night sky confirmed her suspicions, it had started to snow again.

"Miss Van Buren, I feared that the madman had crossed paths with you, I am relieved to hear that it was not so," the butler's voice told her through the phone as Monica closed her eyes. One person she had to lie to, she sighed silently regretting it before answering with a calm voice.

"I got on the train earlier than he did, I didn't even see him," Monica replied clenching her jaw with guilt. Her head was already beginning to reprimand her; she wanted to hang up but resisted the urge to do so when she heard what the butler said next.

"Master Bruce had called earlier, he had hoped you would accompany him to an event this evening," the butler commented as Monica frowned, she despised going out to events, especially when it involved the upper class. She didn't belong with them, the mere thought of having to be amongst them terrified her.

She knew, however, that in denying the request she would appear ungrateful and rude. After everything Bruce had done for her, the least she could do was accompany him for an evening.

"Of course, I'll head over there soon to get ready," she replied with enthusiasm although inside she could feel herself dreading the event already.

"I shall await your arrival, Miss Van Buren," Alfred added as Monica dropped the phone slightly.

"Goodbye, Alfred," she replied before hanging up and stepping away from the window. Her hand pushed her hair back before she walked into the kitchen and tapped her brother on his shoulder. He turned and grabbed his phone when she offered it to him.

"I have to go," she told him as he nodded sadly; he had to admit he missed her company. He wasn't going to ask her to stay, it had become too dangerous for her to remain with him, it was a sacrifice he had to make to keep her out of harm's way.

"Visit soon," he whispered in her ear as he pulled her to him for a hug. She closed her eyes and held him tightly; she wished she could stay with him. She knew better, she let him go after a deep sigh and smiled slightly when she remembered something.

"Can I take the motorcycle?" she asked innocently with pleading eyes as Dante frowned at her. He was about to open his mouth and say no when he shook his head at the display she was making. He now understood his father, one look from her and it was impossible to say no.

"Don't scratch my baby," he warned her when he pulled the keys out and held them in front of her face. She smiled at him before taking them and hurrying towards the door. She grabbed her leather jacket on the way out and slipped it on while she descended the stairs.

"Oh and one more thing, Judas called," Dante called after her as she froze on the spot, "he wanted to talk to you, give him a call soon," her brother added as she turned to look at him and nodded with a shaky smile. She turned away from him before he could see the unshed tears that she was trying to hold back.

He didn't know anything about Judas and she planned to keep it that way. If he were to find out he would no doubt beat the other man to death. Her body shook slightly from the cold air around her as she mounted the bike, her excitement back as the roaring motor drowned out everything around her.

Her gloved hands gripped the handles tightly before she let go of the break and raced down the road, she had let her hair down in order to feel the air around her better. The chilling air around her felt like heaven when she compared it to the days she had spent locked away inside.

She hummed in delight when she raced past a red light barely missing a collision with a semi, she felt alive again. Memories of her father flooded her mind as she smiled to herself, she remembered all of the times he had taken her out for a ride. Most of the time they ended up dancing with the devil missing collisions and cutting close on sharp turns but she had to admit that was the only time when she could feel like herself again.

How she missed her father, her hand let go of the left handle of the bike and trailed up her right shoulder knowing that beneath was the only visible scar from that fateful night. The rest had faded away and weren't even noticeable anymore. Her hand flew up to the handle once more and turned the bike sharply noticing the turn up ahead. The bike skid sideways as she held her breath and used her weight to counter the hastily done turn.

Her body was inches from falling onto the gravel road beneath her before the tires regained their grip and allowed the bike to move forward once more. She laughed out loud when she noticed she had cheated death once more, her father would have been proud.

The rest of the drive had been nothing but thrilling for her. The moment she parked on the driveway of the large mansion, however, she could feel the energy drain out of her. She entered quietly and looked around for the butler before she was assaulted with several maids crowding around her looking panicked.

"Miss, we have to get you out of these clothes," one of them stressed tugging her jacket off while another pulled off her gloves. She stared at the women around her in bewilderment before Alfred appeared with a slight smile.

"They will help you get ready, Master Bruce will be arriving soon," the butler informed her before she felt the maids lead her to her bedroom. She looked back in horror at Alfred who merely smiled at her predicament; she would be ready within a short time with the help of the women surrounding her.

"Oh no, this hair will not do!" the butler heard one of the women exclaim before the door slammed shut behind them. He knew the young tattoo artist wouldn't like the treatment but she had to look presentable before Bruce arrived.

Alfred merely cleaned the kitchen as he waited, he could hear Monica exclaim that they were trying to kill her amongst other things in an attempt to get out of the room. The butler merely shook his head in amusement, he knew the maids were doing their job, he wondered what the woman would look like when they were done.

The butler could hear the front door open before Bruce walked in trying to fix the blood red tie around his neck; his agitated look indicated that he had been attempting to fix it for quite some time.

"Master Bruce, will you ever learn how to tie one of these?" Alfred questioned slapping the other man's hands away before he started to fix the tangled mess the billionaire had made.

"What would I do without you, Alfred?" Bruce replied shaking his head upon seeing how easily the butler fixed the tie. His mind reminded him that he would have to be present at the event soon, he brought his gaze up and looked at his butler expectantly, "where is she?" he asked before the door opened and all of the maids all stepped out one by one with shy smiles on their faces upon seeing the playboy.

"God, I am going to kill you all in your sleep," Monica's voice snapped as she stepped out after them tugging at the dress they had forced her in. Both men looked at her in silent amazement; the maids had certainly done their job well.

She glanced up and noticed the pair staring at her before her cheeks acquired a deep shade of red that matched the dress that she wore. Her untamable hair had been pulled up into an intricate design; the once straight strands that framed her face had been curled by the other women who had threatened to burn her with the curler if she didn't sit still.

A diamond necklace had been secured around her neck to disguise the 'J' that had barely begun to fade down from its usual red flare. Bruce eyed the woman before him, he never would have guessed that he was staring at the broken woman from weeks ago, she had made such a change that he had nothing to say.

The usual flirtatious comments that he threw around with other women died in his throat, Alfred was also staring at her in silent approval. The butler walked over to her and offered her his arm, she glanced down at him embarrassed beyond belief before taking it as he led her over to the billionaire who stood frozen in his spot.

"Master Bruce, you will be late if you stand there the whole night," Alfred reminded the playboy as Bruce blinked realizing that his butler was right. He couldn't stare at her any longer, he had to get going.

"Shall we depart, my dear," the playboy offered, feeling his old self returning. Monica stepped away from Alfred and held on to Bruce's arm as he led them outside to his waiting car. Alfred nodded reassuringly at Monica who glanced back at him unsure of everything before stepping outside and shivering at the cold night air.

Her heels clicking against the ground beneath her was everything she could hear as Bruce led her over to the passenger's side of his red Lamborghini, she froze slightly when she recalled the night that her brother's Lamborghini had flipped over and crashed. Her chest rose and fell at a quick pace as Bruce turned his head to look at her upon seeing her reaction; he grimaced when he recalled finding her brother's wrecked car on the side of the road.

Out of all of the cars that he could have picked he had chosen the one that brought back unpleasant memories for her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked pretending not to know what was disturbing her. He had been roaming the streets as Batman that night; she couldn't know that he caped crusader and the man beside her were the same man, not yet at least.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied with a small smile which made him stare at her again as he watched her step into the car with care. He closed the door behind her and sat down beside her before slamming the door on his side shut. She folded her hands on her lap like before, feeling even more intimidated by having the billionaire beside her.

Bruce watched her out of the corner of his eye, he had invited many women to accompany him to these types of events and each had made a mess of his cars from scratches to dents. He couldn't help but notice the woman beside him; she sat shivering against the leather seat afraid of touching anything for fear of messing with it. He couldn't help but reach out for her hands when they were at a red light and hold them to the heater where warm air hit her cold hands.

"It won't break if you touch it," he pointed out keeping his hands on her own as she looked him shyly, she could hear Alfred in the back of her head telling her the same thing. A blaring horn behind them startled Bruce as he noticed that the light had turned green, he removed his hands from hers and drove the car once more.

She kept her hands near the warmth of the heater the rest of the ride there feeling slightly more comfortable around the playboy as she relaxed her shoulders a little. She noticed him pull up beside an immense building and step out before opening her door. She had been reaching for it herself before she found herself being helped out of the car by him.

Monica watched him as he gave the keys to another man who carefully opened the door and drove away to park the car. She stayed beside him as he led her in through the lobby of the building, the pair walked over to the elevator but not before they were surrounded with other members of the party eager to see Bruce's latest conquest.

The playboy beside her merely continued on his way shrugging the questioning glances that he got from the men around him and the envious glares that the women threw at him and Monica.

They stepped into the elevator but found themselves riding it with four other aristocrats who were heading to the same gathering.

"Bruce, how nice to see you after all zhis time," a woman's voice commented from beside the billionaire as he turned to look at the woman before resisting the urge to cringe. She had accompanied him to the very same event a year ago but after getting to know her better Bruce found nothing interesting about her. The blond woman turned her piercing blue eyes towards Monica; she eyed her up and down before smiling sweetly at the brunette holding on to Bruce's arm for dear life.

"My dear, vhe have not been introduced properly, I am Victoria," the blond purred holding out a hand for her. Monica looked at her, she knew that accent anywhere, the blond had to be German.

"I'm Monica, pleasure to meet you," the young woman answered taking the other's hand and shaking it slightly. The brunette shivered upon feeling the blond's cold grip before the woman let her go.

"Your tastes have changed since vhe last met, Bruce," Victoria commented looking at the playboy beside her, "vhat do you do for a living, _liebe," _the blond questioned as Monica turned to look at her once more. So she was German, she had been right.

"I…I'm a tattoo artist," Monica replied proudly, she wasn't going to be ashamed of her passion. The blond rose an eyebrow questioningly before looking at Bruce who kept his blue eyes straight ahead refusing to look at her.

"Really, I have one myself," Victoria replied as Monica looked at her and then at her shoulder where the blond woman had pointed towards. A small crescent moon stared back at her, she diverted her eyes elsewhere as the other three men in the elevator avoided looking at the women. The tension could clearly be felt in the air around them.

"I was an opera singer vhen I met Bruce," the blond informed her as Monica rose her brow at the woman as well, she never would have guessed.

"Opera? I used to sing it as well," Monica commented before she could stop herself. The blond immediately jumped at the chance that she had been given.

"Perhaps you could grace us all vith your voice tonight, I vill be singing for zhis event, I vould not mind having a duet vith you," Victoria told the brunette sweetly eyeing Bruce once more, the playboy's jaw was firmly set to prevent him from saying what was on his mind.

He knew the woman beside him well, she was only looking to put others to shame with her voice, she knew she was talented and jumped at any chance to show it. When the doors to the elevator finally opened Bruce stepped out first pulling Monica along as Victoria smiled at the pair stepping out after them.

"You have no idea of what you got yourself into when you spoke with that woman," Bruce scolded the brunette beside him as she shrunk beneath his gaze. He immediately eased his muscles and closed his eyes trying to calm his temper. How could she have known Victoria like he did?

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Monica apologized, bowing her head in shame before Bruce tilted her head up with his hand.

"You couldn't have known she would say that, forget about it," he told her as Monica stared at him with uncertainty.

"I'll keep my mouth shut the rest of the evening, I promise," she whispered to him dropping her gaze as Bruce resisted the urge to beat himself up. Why was it that every time he reprimanded her he found himself regretting it later on?

"I didn't mean-" he started before one of the waiters interrupted them by clearing his throat. Bruce stepped back and dropped his hand from her face as Monica directed her gaze downwards.

"Your mask, mousier," the man informed him handing Bruce an intricate black mask before turning to Monica, "mademoiselle," he added handing her a gold mask decorated beautifully with silver.

"A masquerade?" Monica asked quietly eyeing the mask in her hand before looking up at Bruce who stared dumbfounded at the one he held in his hand.

"I did not know," the billionaire confessed looking around noticing everyone was wearing one. Amongst the crowd it was impossible to distinguish one person from another.

"Ah, Bruce, there you are!" a booming voice shouted making Monica jump slightly and fumble with the mask in her hand. She turned to look at a man approaching them with a pair of women wrapped around his arms.

"Fleur, how long has it been?" Bruce asked recognizing the man instantly despite the red mask that hid his face. The two shook hands before Fleur noticed Monica standing beside Bruce looking away nervously.

"And who is this pretty little flower?" Fleur asked before Bruce threw him a warning glance. The other man smirked at the billionaire and backed away from the brunette knowing she was out of bounds.

"Monica," Bruce replied introducing her as she glanced up upon hearing her name. Fleur managed to catch her eye before she looked away once more.

"Quite a catch," the man commented winking at Bruce, "come, there is much to discuss," he added leading the playboy over to a table. Monica walked beside him quietly noticing the dance floor; it was filled with dancing pairs that moved to the orchestra that was playing at the end of the room.

She sat down beside Bruce when he pulled out a chair for her before getting lost in her own thoughts as the pair of men talked endlessly about things that had passed. She twirled the cup of wine that had been set in front of her for what seemed hours before a gentle tap on her shoulder startled her causing her to nearly drop the glass onto the white tablecloth.

She set it down carefully before turning to look at the person who had snapped her out of her thoughts. A man dressed in dark purple attire stared back at her; she could tell from the way he stood he was just another aristocrat of Gotham city. His white mask made her tilt her head slightly as she tried to place where she had seen it before, she had to admit it the black decorations of the mask suited him.

"Would you care to dance with me?" his voice broke her out of her thoughts as she blinked several times before understanding what he had just asked. That voice, she could have sworn she had heard it before, she couldn't recall where.

She glanced sideways at Bruce before turning to stare at the stranger once more. She nodded knowing the billionaire wouldn't notice her absence before taking the hand the man had offered her, she found herself being led to the dance floor by the man, she stared down at the purple gloved hand that held her own in slight confusion. This seemed familiar to her…but why?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts as the man pulled her closer and rested one hand on her waist. Monica tried to concentrate on what she was doing but found herself staring at his mask once more; her mind was going crazy trying to figure out where it was from.

Her mind didn't even register Victoria's voice as the opera singer started to vocalize to the tune around them, the stranger in front of her pulled her closer to him, she found the firm grip on her body strangely familiar as well. She let the thought slide as she allowed her head to rest on his chest, the smell of gunpowder and makeup assaulted her senses. She froze upon smelling it and glanced up at the dirty blond hair that the mask couldn't hide, her eyes wide as her mind started to put two and two together.

"Something wrong…beautiful?" his voice asked followed by a low chuckle, she could feel his chest vibrate against her as the sound filled her ears. She pulled back immediately and stared up at the man in shock and slight horror.

"Oh god, Joker?" she asked quietly as her expression betrayed her and showed how scared she truly was at the moment.

"What gave it away?" his voice asked her as the grip he held on her waist increased making her whimper in slight pain and pull away from him. He pulled her back to him in an instant, "do not make a scene," he hissed in her ear as she froze and nodded. The last thing she wanted was to test the madman before her; she knew he was capable of anything.

"Why are you here?" she asked shrinking before him as he smiled beneath the mask at the control he held over her.

"I don't kill people every night ya know?" he whispered in her ear, "It would get dull very fast if I did," he explained running his tongue over his bottom lip, "not that the screams ever seize to amuse me," he added feeling her wanting to run from his side.

"What do you want?" she asked cringing away from him as he frowned beneath the mask, he pulled her to him and started to walk away from the dancing couples around them before a voice directed everyone's attention to them.

"Monica, my dear," Victoria called, smiling at her as she held out her arm motioning for the other woman to join her, "indulge us with one song," the blond added as more heads turned to look at the brunette and the man beside her.

"I found your purse to be rather boring, doll," the Joker added as he released her knowing he couldn't do anything unless he blew his cover. Not that it would bother him anyway; he just didn't feel like wasting his energy on the fat cats around him, he had other matters to attend to. "It's under the table where Brucey boy is sitting, we will continue this at a more uh-convenient time," he whispered to her stepping back knowing she wouldn't give him away unless she wanted to choke on her own blood.

She stepped cautiously away from him afraid of finding a knife stabbed into her back as she walked hesitantly over to Victoria's side feeling the expectant stares from the men and women that she passed by. Bruce looked at her with slight regret knowing Victoria was a force to be reckoned with when it came to singing, her vibrato could overpower anyone else's within a matter of seconds.

The whole room turned their attention towards the pair as the Joker turned to leave, he saw no reason to remain there anymore, until he heard her voice.

"_In sleep he sang to me, _

_In dreams he came,_

_That voice which calls to me,_

_And speaks my name,_

_And do I dream again?_

_For now I find…_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside my mind…"_

Monica sang unsure of herself as the room hushed, Victoria stared at the woman beside her amazed that she had actually sung something before realizing that she had to sing something as well. She tore through her mind trying to find the lyrics that followed after before she finally recalled the words.

"_Sing once again with me,_

_Our strange duet,_

_My power over you,_

_Grows stronger yet,_

_And though you turn from me,_

_To glance behind, _

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside your mind…"_

The blond sang aware that it was a role meant for a male, she didn't care, her voice could make anything sound good. She held out the last note longer than she needed to prove that her voice was better than the brunette beside her.

The Joker merely stared at the pair with curiosity, his eyes darted to the playboy sitting at a table a few feet away from him, much like the clown he too looked at the pair unsure of who was going to come out on top.

"_Those who have seen your face,_

_Draw back in fear,_

_I am the mask you wear…"_

Monica sang looking over at the Joker who hid himself well in the shadows; the words couldn't have fit the clown better. She had a feeling he was going to use her as his puppet to achieve what he wanted, the feeling wouldn't leave her.

"_It's me they hear!"_

Victoria replied triumphantly stretching out the note once more as Monica stepped back and let the blond ruin the song. The note wasn't meant to be sung like that; even the conductor cringed upon hearing her massacre her notes.

"_Your spirit and my voice,_

_In one combined,_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside my mind…"_

Their voices both merged into one, Monica's was the more hesitant and quiet one while Victoria completely went ahead and continued to butcher the melody.

"_And in this labyrinth, _

_Where night is blind,_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside my mind…"  
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Victoria sang skipping a verse completely as Monica followed, both of their voices growing stronger. The Joker couldn't help but laugh once he heard his doll's voice; he turned and headed towards the elevator knowing she would crush the blond woman when it came to vocalizing in the next part. He had a keen ear for music if he didn't say so himself, he knew success when he heard it.

Monica stared at his figure as he turned to leave, she couldn't help but compare him to the Phantom of the Opera, especially when he was wearing a white mask. She managed to bring her attention back to her current predicament when she heard the change in the music.

Both of the women started to vocalize together before Monica broke off from Victoria and started to sing over the blond who stared at her in defiance and tried to keep up. The final note, however, was where the blond failed to compete with her rival.

The years of neglecting her singing voice proved too much, the high notes were harder on her especially without warming up her voice. Monica on the other hand never stopped practicing; her mother had been the one to teach her everything she knew. Although she didn't sing as often as she used to she still managed to keep her voice up to her standards with a few lessons once in a while usually with her brother playing the piano.

She was amazed that she had done so well; it had been a while since she had practiced. The woman beside her huffed before storming off of the stage leaving her alone before clapping reached her ears. She smiled despite herself; there were only three things in her life that brought her joy: tattooing, riding, and singing.

Bruce appeared by her side and helped her down the stairs as more claps reached her ears. She smiled shyly at the men that congratulated her and at the women who wished her well before the billionaire managed to sit down at the table once more with her by his side.

"I never thought I would live to see the day when someone actually silenced Victoria," he told her as she laughed slightly at him. The light sound filling the playboy's ears, he wondered why he didn't hear enough of it.

"I didn't know I had it in me," Monica replied before her shoe kicked something over. She moved the tablecloth aside and glanced down at her black purse before picking it up and looking at it carefully. She wouldn't put it past the Joker to plant a bomb in it.

Her hand reached inside before she hissed and pulled it back out in pain. She licked the little drop of blood that had appeared on her finger before she reached in carefully. She pulled out her broken phone first before noticing the note that had been attached to the back.

'_Black was never my color, _

_You owe __**me **__now. _

_-J.'_

She stared down at the shattered screen before she reached in and pulled out another phone, the purple device in her hand made her tilt her head slightly before a small smile crept up on her lips. Out of all the colors, he had replaced her black phone with a purple one.

She reached in once more before she found the source of her cut finger, she pulled out a card, a Joker to be exact made out of a thin type of glimmering metal. She turned it over and found no other purpose to it other than cutting her finger. She realized that had probably been his reasoning as well before she tossed the card back into her purse after Bruce turned to look at her.

"What is it?" his voice asked as she dropped both phones into the purse as well out of his view before she shook her head covering for the clown prince of crime once more. The last thing she wanted was for Bruce to find out about her little run in with him earlier that day and tonight.

"Nothing, it's nothing. "

**Review!**


	17. Drive

**Drive**

**A/N: I've been getting a lot of positive responses to this story, keep it up my dears, enjoy!**

"Is it supposed to hurt this much? the blond woman lying down in front of Monica asked. The brunette sighed while pulling back with the tattoo needle in her hand. She cracked her neck and looked at the clock on the wall, it was extremely late. That wouldn't stop her from finishing the piece she was currently on.

"Your brother failed to inform you, the ribs is where it is going to hurt more," Monica replied wiping away the blood that had surfaced onto the blond woman's skin before lowering the needle once more.

She could feel the blond cringe and grit her teeth as she applied the color onto the feathers of the peacock that she was applying onto her side. The remaining tattooers around her were adding the finishing touches to their pieces. Monica grimaced when she noticed she still had another two hours to go.

She continued to move the needle over her skin for about another hour before her phone vibrated beside her. Monica glanced at it briefly before adding one more shade and taking it into her hands to read the message.

Her face paled when she read it, her head snapped up and looked around in order to see if anyone had noticed before she blackened the screen. She stared at the woman before her and at the tattoo that she had to finish, she still needed another hour.

"Listen, it's late," Monica commented looking around as her last tattooer grabbed his things before walking through the door, "why don't you book another session and I'll finish it?" she asked hopeful that the other woman would agree.

"Ok, my side is killing me anyway," she added getting up with a grimace from the chair that she had been resting on. Monica tried her best to hurry and patch the tattoo up while glancing at the back door every three seconds nervously.

"Alright, you're all set," the brunette told her as the blond nodded and grabbed her purse heading for the door. Monica watched as she left and uttered a sigh of relief as soon as she noticed she was alone. She headed over to the back door and reached for the doorknob before it opened and hit her nose.

She groaned in pain as she held it with one hand before looking at the man that had opened it. Her eyes landed on his green hair before they fell to his makeup covered face.

"Sorry, doll," he apologized mockingly after seeing her rub her nose in irritation. She glanced down at his side and noticed why he had texted her so unexpectedly. The gleaming crimson wound stared back at her as she frowned and looked around making sure no one had come back for something.

"Why are you here and how did you get my number?" she asked carefully not wishing to push his temper, she had learned how unpredictable he was a while ago. His brown eyes stared back at her with amusement before they unfocused slightly causing her to shake her head slightly.

"I, uh, gave you that phone, remember?" he replied holding his side as Monica's eyes shot over to the wound once more, "ya got a car?"

Her confused eyes met his as he stood before her; she stepped forward out of instinct when she saw him sway in his spot. He smiled at her before clicking his tongue in annoyance. She nodded remembering the Trans Am she had parked outside.

"Why?" Monica demanded starting to understand his sudden visit. She hadn't seen him in over two weeks, why was it that every time he appeared something went wrong?

"Grab your keys, we're going for a ride," he told her trying to laugh but failing when a soft hiss escaped through his lips. Monica's expression turned into a concerned one upon seeing this, she turned and grabbed the keys that rested on her station before turning to see him.

He grabbed her roughly by her neck and urged her along as she practically rushed to keep up with his strides. She wondered why he had come to her and why she was helping him in the first place. Her mind reminded her that he was a criminal, something like that would be frowned upon by her brother.

She remembered, however, that she owed him a favor. He had gotten her out of the train with Scarecrow alive and had given her a phone after he had broken the one she had before. She knew he would use that against her one day, she resisted the urge to face palm at her stupidity.

Realizing that she didn't have any more time to think her situation through she stepped through the back door of her parlor and sighed.

"I haven't got all day," the Joker snapped at her, "unless you'd like to explain why a dead clown is in your back seat, I suggest we hurry along, beautiful," he commented with a grin as she shook her head at his humor.

Now was not the time to be making jokes, especially when he was in that state.

She gave him the keys when he motioned over for them with one bloodied hand. Her grimace was apparent as he stained the metal before opening the door. The door slammed shut after him before he reached over and unlocked the passenger's side. Monica sighed unaware of the mess she was getting herself into before sitting down beside him in the black leather seats.

Her mouth was kept shut as he turned the car on and backed it up with a calm expression on his usual smiling face. She glanced at him sideways in concern upon seeing him clench and unclench his hand around the steering wheel as he skid onto the streets.

"You're going to get us killed!" Monica exclaimed beside him as she held on to whatever she could seeing him step on the gas more while weaving through the cars around them.

"Lighten up, if ya gotta go…go with a smile," he cackled cheerily offering her a bloodied smile. Monica sighed realizing how insane the man beside her was before she nearly felt her heart jump out of her chest.

His eyes stared at the red light in front of him and the passing cars before burning the tires on the car, Monica's breath hitched as she realized what he was about to do, it was only after a second glance at the rear view mirror that she understood his rush.

She could see three black Escalades making their way through the cars a block away from them. The AK-47's that were being aimed at them made her heart skip a beat as she looked at him with panic.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she yelled at him as he glanced at the trucks behind them and at the traffic in front. Monica shook her head when she realized they were trapped.

"Joker," she warned him knowing that the trucks were getting closer. She could see the men were getting ready to pull the triggers. He didn't seem to hear her; he stared ahead with a straight face.

Monica turned to look at the men that were following him noticing that they had a clear shot at her car.

"Joker!" she screamed hitting the side of his arm urging him to do something as he lessened the pressure on the break. The Trans Am lurched forward sending Monica back onto her seat before bullets rained down on them.

"I like this job," he laughed beside her shaking the hair out of his face before speeding in onto oncoming traffic. Monica held back the urge to scream and covered her eyes not wanting to see when they crashed. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when she heard a loud collision, she opened her eyes shocked to see that it hadn't been them.

She stuck her head out of the window to see one of the three trucks flipped sideways by a semi, the other two still in hot pursuit going around the wreck.

"Get back in here," the Joker snapped hooking his fingers around the belt loop on the back of her pants before tugging at it with force. She hit the back of her head upon being pulled back in seconds before bullets whizzed by and hit the side mirror.

Her mouth hung open in shock realizing that she could have been dead had it not been for the clown beside her. It was only when she turned to look at him that she noticed their predicament. He shook his head trying to keep his focus on the road while reaching inside of his purple coat.

A frown was placed onto her lips once more as she noticed him pull out a gun of his own. That hadn't been why she was upset, she was used to seeing him with one by now, the metal of the weapon had a coat of his blood on it.

"Drive for me," he warned her seconds before he let go of the steering wheel. Monica resisted the urge to scream at him before lunging forward to grab it before the car crashed. She held it in place before realizing that the clown beside her had half of his body sticking out of the car.

What a sight that must have been for people on the streets. Upon processing the through further her skin paled realizing that the chase would soon call the attention of the cops, or worse the Batman. She resisted the urge to pull the man back in as she heard several bullets being fired at him.

She prayed that he wouldn't get hit before her mind scolded her. He was a murderer, why should she care whether he lived or died? At the same time it reminded her that he had saved her from getting hit seconds ago.

Shaking her head at her predicament she stared at the road before her trying to steer clear of other cars upon him not relieving the pressure on the gas. She caught a sight of the flashing that came from the gun out of the corner of her eye as the clown started to assault the men behind them with his own gun.

A triumphant smile found its way onto her lips as she noticed him hit the driver to one of the vans. She immediately dropped it as she reminded herself that he had just killed someone, granted it hadn't been an innocent person. Still, she shouldn't be celebrating.

"Move over," she heard him say before she pulled back as much as she could without letting go of the wheel. He brought his body back into the car and grabbed control of it once more as she sat back onto her seat noticing that they still had one more van behind them.

"What about the last one?" she asked him noticing he was struggling with keeping his eyes open. She could practically smell the coppery blood that oozed out of him, the concern that settled over her was much more than a criminal like him deserved.

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" he asked with amusement as she resisted the urge to choke him. Did her ever stop with his jokes? Her mind answered the question for her, he was named Joker for crying out loud, of course he didn't.

"Well, you should have one," she commented as he searched blindly in his pockets once more. He handed a bloodied piece of paper to her as she took it with hesitation. She opened the damp paper staining her fingers with crimson as she held back the urge to gag. An address stared back at her written with a black pen; she glanced at him for an explanation before realizing that he had pulled something else.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him pull the pin from the grenade in his hand with his teeth. The resounding click that it made as he threw it out of the window carelessly made her eyes go wide before she turned to look at the van following them.

The driver saw the small exploding device seconds before he slammed down onto the breaks. Monica gasped as the grenade exploded taking the van with it as it rose up in flames behind them. She breathed out shakily before sinking down onto her seat.

"What don't you have in there?" she asked halfheartedly glancing at his coat with interest before flashing red and blue lights appeared in the rearview mirror.

"A puppy, I always wanted a puppy," he replied glancing at the coat with fake sadness making her smile beside him, she dropped it as soon as it came when she saw the lights flashing behind them. The blue and red flashes caused her to groan in dismay.

She glanced back and counted at least five police cars rushing towards them, could her day possibly get any worse? Her head turned to look at the man beside her as he too glanced back and smiled weakly, he stepped on the gas once more as the car tore through the streets. The roaring coming from the motor echoed in the empty alleys around them.

"Ever noticed the streets during the winter? " he asked her as the grip on the steering wheel lessened causing her to shake her head slowly. "They have this pretty shimmer to them, almost like the one that people have in their eyes before I kill them," he commented with a high pitched chuckle. Monica glanced at the road before them after hearing his disturbing comment.

She almost wished she hadn't.

"Oh god, that's black ice!" she screamed at him seconds before he turned the wheel harshly and let loose his trademark chuckle. The car spun uncontrollably on the thin sheet of ice that had formed above the gravel making Monica's body lurch sideways. She found herself pressed up against his side as his booming laughter echoed around her.

She closed her eyes wishing for the ordeal to end, for it to be a nightmare.

Her wish, however, was cut short as soon as she felt the tires beneath her gain the grip that they had lost. She opened her eyes and noticed they had managed to come out of the ice patch alive before more collisions reached her ears.

The cop cars behind her had all rammed into one another or onto the parked cars on the sides of the street. She pulled away from the clown beside her and uttered a sigh of relief before it too was cut short. The Joker's head dropped forward for a brief moment as he struggled with keeping conscious,

"Oh come on, not here…not now," she begged shaking his arm lightly upon seeing his head sway once more. She looked around desperately noticing they had entered the Narrows, her situation had gone from bad to worse.

"Drive," he ordered grabbing her and pulling her to him as she panicked and shook her head. How could she when he was in the driver's seat? He answered the question for her as he tugged on her arm once more, she fell forward and landed on his lap before pulling herself up with a flushed look on her face. She thanked god his eyes were half lidded and he was losing consciousness, at least he would remember anything.

"Don't stop, unless you wanna die with me, doll," he warned her whispering into her ear as she stared at him with horrified eyes. She nearly cried out loud when his head dropped back and his hand slipped from the wheel, the bastard had decided to pass out now?

She gripped the wheel from her seat but realized her predicament when she noticed she couldn't possibly drive from the passenger's seat. She didn't even have control on the speed of the car.

"You couldn't pick someone else for this?" she asked him in embarrassment knowing he couldn't hear. She shook her head in dismay as she climbed over the gear shift and stared at the clown before her. She stared at him making sure he was completely out of it before sitting on his lap with an embarrassed and uncomfortable look on her face.

"If the world saw me now…" she mumbled gripping the wheel before glancing down and noticing his foot was still on the accelerator. She shook her head slightly and pushed his leg aside with her own before she lessened the speed and looked around clearly lost. Her mind couldn't think of where to go or who to take him to.

She wondered why she was even doing this, for all she cared she could call the police and turn him in. She bit her bottom lip knowing she couldn't bring herself to do that not after he had come to her for help, not that he would ever admit it.

She glanced at her bloodied fingers before remembering the paper he had given her moments ago, she reached into her leather jacket and pulled it out, she struggled to see it and drive the car at the same time.

She pulled out her phone from the back pocket of her pants before sitting down once more. The clown behind her groaned, she could feel his chest rumble against her back. Her eyes glanced back to make sure he was still unconscious before she typed in the address and searched for it on the GPS.

The relief that came when she noticed the place was only a couple of blocks away was heavenly; at least she could get him somewhere before more cops showed up.

She pulled up to the small house and stepped out of the car carefully not wishing to irritate the wounds on the clown behind her. A dog barking on the house opposite from the one where she stood at startled her and made her jump. She glared at the canine before pulling her jacket around her and walking up the wooden steps.

Each creaked and groaned much to her dismay as she noticed the lack of attention that the porch had. It made her wonder if anyone lived there in the first place. She knocked and waited impatiently as shattering glass came from the other side. She pressed her head up against the surface of the door as scrambling reached her ears and hushed orders were given.

Her brow furrowed in confusion seconds before the door was swung open and a knife was pressed to her throat. A goon slammed her up against the railing of the porch as her arms flailed helplessly trying to stop herself from falling off.

"Ya got a death wish, girly?" he growled at her as she shook her head trying to find her voice. The mask he wore had a blue frown which made her gulp and shake her head once more.

"N-no, he told me to come here," she replied pointing over to her car as the goons that had been standing behind the one that held her cursed. She saw all of them rush over to the Joker's form, some taking the stairs while others merely hopped the railing.

"Who are you and why is the boss in your car?" the goon asked her shaking her as she swayed on the railing once more and held on to his jacket in an act of desperation.

"Listen, I'll be glad to leave you all alone, just let me go," she begged as the bloodied paper fell out of her pocket. The goon that held her gave her a warning glance before he reached down and grabbed it, after a moment the grip on her the collar of her jacket increased.

"How did you get this?" he asked once more pulling back his fist ready to hit her if she didn't answer him.

"Happy, lay off, she's the one the boss told us about," another one of the goons called to him as Monica shivered against him and stared at his fist with horrified eyes.

Happy stared down at the woman and noticed how she shrunk beneath the fist that he had up still, his eyes darted at the other goons who were pulling the Joker's body out of the car with extreme care.

"You got lucky, girly," he snarled at her letting her go as she dropped her head and turned to leave. She was stopped when his hand wrapped around her forearm.

"Where do ya think you're going?" Happy asked pulling her to him as she struggled slightly, her car was a few feet away…if she could only reach it.

"Home," she replied nervously as Happy actually laughed, she stared at him with confusion written on her expression. She watched the goons carry the Joker up the stairs carefully, his arm hanging to the side revealing the bloody wound on his side.

"No you're not," the goon before her replied as another stopped to look at her as she shook her head in denial, "we need a doctor for the boss, you're all we got."

Her mouth dropped open in shock upon hearing Happy; she didn't want to look at the Joker in that condition much less have to treat his wound.

"I'm not a doctor!" Monica exclaimed in outrage before Happy shook his head and laughed once more.

"Listen, if he dies, we'll cut you up into tiny little pieces and feed you to his dogs," the goon threatened as she nodded in understanding. She wasn't getting out of her situation any time soon; she cursed whatever force had told the Joker to seek her out for help.

Her body shook off the grip he had on her arm, Happy turned away from her and headed into the house once more. Monica stared after him in dismay, she wasn't a doctor, how could they possibly expect her to treat the clown from the bullet wound he had acquired?

"He's always like that, don't take it personally," the remaining goon commented. Her eyes scanned his mask briefly; unlike the other he had a smile on it with dripping black makeup on the eyes. The tuff of yellow and blue hair on the top of the mask made her smile despite the situation.

"Do you guys have names, or do you just go by the masks?" she asked as he led her into the house. She noticed it was all pitch black except for the living room where they had set the Joker down onto a couch.

"I'm Grumpy," the man told her as she turned to look at him with amusement once more. The smile on the mask said differently, he pointed over to the goon that had nearly thrown her over the railing, "that lovely human specimen is called Happy," he added as she resisted the urge to laugh at his insult.

"He doesn't look too happy," she replied as she moved over to the Joker and crouched down before him, she undid his vest and stopped before undoing the dress shirt underneath. The goons that loomed over her stared intently at her every move.

She rolled her eyes at them before she started to unbutton his shirt; her eyes shot straight over to the bullet wound right above his hip bone and grimaced. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them; she looked at the rest of the clown's exposed skin. She shook her head slightly as her eyes landed on all of the scars that littered his body.

Her mind couldn't help but point out that he didn't have a bad form either, while he wasn't as toned as Bruce was she could tell the running around and scraps that he had at night had a point to them. She closed her eyes once more and cleared her mind of those thoughts before Happy interrupted her.

"Ya gonna do something? The threat with the dogs still stands," he reminded her as she resisted the urge to snarl back at him. She reached into her pocket as the men around her tensed and pointed their guns at her.

"Relax, it's just a phone," she commented, "I'm not going to kill any of you, in fact I know I would fail miserably if I tried," she added going through her contacts before finding the one she had been looking for.

She pushed the call button and held the phone to her hear before biting the inside of her cheek nervously, she stopped when her mind reminded her that the Joker had the same habit.

"You called?" a sleepy voice sounded over the speaker as she uttered a sigh and replied.

"Lucifer, this is going to sound odd at three in the morning I know, just try to not freak out on me, how the hell do you treat a bullet wound?"

**Review!**


	18. The Chubby Little Ones

**The Chubby Little Ones!**

**A/N: While reading a review the other day I was told that my OC's were 'quite boring', I'd like your opinions on this, I didnt think they were that bad XD Anyway, side notes to some of you guys!**

**Ravenclaw992: The image of seeing the Joker completely passed out while having Monica drive while on his lap hasnt left my mind since I read your review :D I think of it every time I head out and stare at passing cars, what a sight that would be! XD**

**SurroundedInDarkness : Glad to see that you understood what I was going for, I didnt want them to fall for each other right away, where's the fun in that right? hahahahha**

**The Mourning Dragon: Hope you like this chapter! :D **

**LibertyForFreedom455: Well here's the update, while it isnt horribly late I felt bad for making you guys wait so much when I had a lot of reviews for the last chapter XD**

**The Grinning Reaper: I never stated that they HAD to be mary-sue or average, I merely asked for the readers to knock some sense into me if my OC started to sound too mary-suish -_-**

**LaurenvBelladonna: I agree, no matter what he does...Bruce shall always look great :D lmfao Hope you like this chapter and yes...now you'll see why he's gonna get mad XD **

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: It just clicked, your name has something to do with the Erik from the Phantom of the Opera right? It's kinda sad since Im writting a fanfic about him and I barely recognized the name XD and thank you! Hope you like this chapter as much as the last!**

**nekochan354: XD I couldnt agree more, but Im crazy so therefore my fanfics are crazy ;D**

**Zeny: Glad you like! ;)**

**Guest: :] lmfao ;D**

"What?" Lucifer's voice barked as Monica closed her eyes and rubbed the side of her head. How on earth was she supposed to come up with an excuse this time? It wasn't like she could just tell him that she had the Joker in front of her practically bleeding to death.

Her eyes darted to the door where Happy was currently standing guard with a pair of Rottweilers by his side. He tilted his head at her and let the leashes slip from his hands giving the dogs a little bit of freedom; they bounded towards her before Happy pulled them back. Monica jumped upon seeing the pair of dogs lunge at her, the phone in her hand slipped and collided with the ground beneath her.

Grumpy stared at her in concern as she searched blindly for it refusing to look away from the pair of dogs growling at her.

"Enough, you aren't making it better with those slobbering dogs," Grumpy snarled turning to look at Happy. The other goon merely ignored him and held the two canines in place, Monica finally managed to wrap her hand around her phone once more, she noticed the screen was cracked.

Joker was going to kill her, it wasn't even a month old, that was if he lived through the night.

"Lucifer, its urgent just tell me what to do, he's one of Judas' bikers," Monica begged knowing that her lie would catch up to her eventually. She tried to stop the blood that seemed to pour out of the clown in front of her. Her hand by this time was covered in crimson while the rest of the goons started to pace around her nervously.

The sigh that came from the other line made her frown and glance at the wound once more in desperation. Her hand started to shake when she noticed how pale his skin was; her mind scolded her and reminded her that she had to keep pressure on it.

"You owe me one hell of an explanation after this," Lucifer replied before he started to instruct her. She followed through carefully grimacing when she had to pull out the bullet that had imbedded itself deep into his abdomen.

The clown price of crime didn't even stir as she tossed the metal aside and proceeded to applying pressure again. That concerned her, he should have at least stirred, she shook her head trying to concentrate before Happy interrupted her once more.

"Hey, could you take any longer-" he started before something within her snapped.

"Yes as a matter a fact I can!" she barked turning to look at him sharply. Grumpy jumped back upon seeing the outburst form the woman beside him. "Sit your ass down and let me take care of him already!" she shouted angrily making the rest of the goons glance at each other with questioning glances.

Happy merely gulped and stepped back pulling the pair of Rottweilers along, the ears on the dogs completely flat against their heads in fear. Monica could hear Grumpy laugh at the other man triumphantly before she returned to the task at hand.

"Ok, it's out," she told Lucifer before she heard him sigh, "what next?"

"Get him to a hospital, you can't do anything else," he told her as several of the goons around her waved their arms in the air and shook their heads. Monica rolled her eyes at them, of course she wasn't going to take him to a hospital, he'd be arrested as soon as they stepped through the doors.

"I can't, he'll get dragged off to jail as soon as they see him," she told the man on the phone as she heard him growl back at her.

"What kind of biker did you run into?" he asked as she closed her eyes. She had a feeling all of these lies would catch up to her sooner or later.

"The kind that can't be seen by cops," she replied, "Lucifer, please," she begged looking at the half dead clown in front of her. She couldn't stand by and let him die, not after everything she had gone through to keep him alive that long.

"Fine," Monica heard him reply as she smiled at him despite his inability to see it, "get someone to hold him down…this next part won't be too pretty," Lucifer warned her. Monica turned to look at Grumpy and another goon; they both nodded and moved forward.

"Alright, what now?" she replied waiting impatiently.

"Heat the first piece of metal that you can get your hands on," he told her as her face paled considerably, "you're going to have to cauterize the wound."

"You cannot be serious?" she asked looking around in slight panic upon seeing Grumpy grab on to the clown's shoulders while the other waited for her to move.

"He'll bleed out if you wait any longer," Lucifer reminded her as she rushed out from the room and looked around desperately. She found a knife on the counter of the kitchen, without a second thought she lit the stove and placed it above the flames.

She could hear the panicked whispers from the men in the living room; the metal was taking forever to heat up. The wait was killing her, she knew it would be her fault if the damn clown died; she couldn't live with herself if that happened.

She practically jumped at the knife as soon as she noticed the metal taking on a tone between orange and red. She picked it up carefully and rushed into the living room; she motioned for one of the goons to relive the pressure that he had been applying seconds before she lowered the metal onto his skin.

The Joker's eyes instantly shot open in pain. Monica's lips instantly matched his own frown as she watched him struggle against the knife that was pressed up against his skin. It took three of his men to hold him down and keep him from thrashing as the smell of burnt skin reached her nose.

Monica tried to hold back the tears of desperation that welled up in her eyes as she watched the clown prince of crime reduced to an average man due to all of the pain.

"Hold him down," she choked struggling to keep the knife against him, she felt tempted to remove it and relieve him of his agony, Lucifer had warned her about what would happen. She couldn't afford to let go less the wound reopen and he started to bleed again. They would have to repeat the whole process if that happened, she didn't think herself capable of putting him through it again.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to him seconds before she finally removed the knife from his side. He fell forward into the arms of one of his goons fully unconscious once more. She tossed the blade in her hand aside and moved forward to wrap some bandages around the recently sealed wound. She carefully reached behind him and gently placed them over the sensitive wound.

Monica pulled back when she was done and sighed uneasily as she watched the two goons lay him down on the couch once more. She dropped her head into her bloodied palms in regret; she had never seen or done something to cause another so much pain.

"Ya did good, girly," Happy told her placing a hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort. She didn't shove him away or slap his hand. Monica simply sat there in denial; she couldn't believe she had just done that.

The rest of the goons within the house headed upstairs to get some rest as the night dragged on. She stayed by the Joker's side, she couldn't explain why she remained with the madman or the concern that settled over her whenever he shifted.

Her eyes settled on his blank expression, she couldn't tear her gaze away from the jagged scarred smile that called for attention every time she saw him. Monica couldn't stop herself as she leaned over and let her hand hoover above the smooth scar on his right cheek. His brow furrowed as if he could sense what she was about to do.

Monica pulled back instantly scolding herself for what she had been about to. The Joker turned his face away from her as she stood from the couch to get the temptation out of her mind. She stood with her back facing him while she tried to sort out her thoughts about the clown and the peculiar scars on his face.

Did they ever hurt him? Surely they had to when he walked around with that Cheshire grin of his all day. Her mind wondered about his past life, how had he gotten them? She was sure the story about the circus had been false.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when she heard him groan and drape his arm across his face. She froze as she watched him pick his head up and drop the same arm from before. The white and red makeup that had smeared on his forearm made her look up at his partially uncovered face.

The very tip of the scar on his left cheek was visible along with the bridge of his nose, her eyes stared at him intently before she noticed him look around in an annoyed manner.

His chocolate eyes dropped down to the bandages at his waist before his trademark smile returned to his lips. He dropped back down onto the couch and held his side in pan despite his smiling façade; Monica approached him slowly not wishing to startle him.

He turned to look at her lazily with an uninterested look in his eyes before directing his gaze at the ceiling.

"I see you are better," she commented quietly, he made no move to show that he had heard or cared. She stood a few feet away from him with an uneasy look on her expression before glancing outside. Now that he was well there was nothing stopping her from leaving. She turned and started to head for the door before his voice stopped her halfway there.

"You used a hot knife?" he asked clearly unamused at the method that she had used to treat his wound. Truth be told he didn't remember half of the ordeal; it was probably for the best anyway, he preferred to forget how he got his wounds treated. It had been like that since the day when he had to stich his own trademark grin into place. He shook his head not wanting to remember that particular memory.

Monica's voice brought him back to reality as he heard her retreating footsteps.

"What else could I have done?" she replied starting to leave once more.

"And they call me sadistic," she heard him mumble. Monica's body snapped over to look at him, her eyebrow quirked in an irritated manner. The Joker merely continued to stare at the ceiling as she approached and stopped in front of him.

"Says the man who laughs with joy while his victims scream," she shot back as his eyes flickered over to her. She tried to hold his gaze but ended up losing as she looked away clearly unnerved. She missed the amusement that seemed to cross his expression for a brief moment.

She turned away from him once more with the intention of heading out the door without stopping before she heard him get up from the couch. Her body didn't even have time to turn around and face him before she felt his gloved hand grip her shoulder and spin her around.

"I haven't heard one from you, doll," he told her seconds before he pinned her against the wall near the door, "indulge me," he whispered to her gripping her neck. Monica stared at him with fear running through her veins; this was the clown she was used to seeing.

"How can you be up so fast?" she choked gripping his wrist desperately seeking air. The Joker tensed upon feeling her hand on the bare skin of his wrist, he resisted the urge to pull away.

"Magic," he replied clicking his tongue with apparent joy. She tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes at him, no doubt something like that would defiantly get her choked to death.

"What do you want from me?" she asked desperately wishing to be as far away from him as humanly possible. He stopped instantly and stepped back with a hurt look on his expression before one of pure madness replaced it. He remembered why he had decided to 'visit' her in the first place, all of that had been before he shot, the bullet wound had definitely been a surprise.

"I just want my knife back, beautiful," he replied quietly as she blinked several times trying to comprehend what he had just told her. He had made her go through all of that…for a knife?

"The potato peeler?" she asked blankly reaching into her back pocket to pull out the blade. If that was all he wanted then she would gladly give it back.

"It is not a potato peeler," the Joker stated clearly annoyed as he snatched the blade from her palm. She watched him flick it open and instantly regretted giving it back to him as he pressed it up to her old scar. She hissed and squirmed up against him when she felt him tracing the same letter into her skin.

"Would a potato peeler be capable of doing that?" he asked her leaning in closer to her. She held back the tears that were begging to escape from her eyes, instead she held in hear breath to deal with the pain. Her wide eyes stared at him before noticing the proximity of his body to her own. Her eyes faltered slightly and went down to look at his scarred lips before she brought them back up to look at him.

"No," she replied shakily unable to move, before she could stop herself she found that her eyes were back to scanning his face, this time, however, they landed on the scars going upwards on his cheeks.

"Beautiful, if ya' like em' that much I can give ya' a matching pair," he commented with a slightly angered tone. She instantly stopped her staring and brought her eyes back up to his own making a note to never look at his scars.

His gloved hand reached down and brushed against the fresh cut on her chest gathering the ruby blood on the tip of his finger. He reached up and smeared on a smile to match his own before stepping back and admiring his work.

"Smile for me," he told her as she refused to do so. His own grin dropped down slightly before he turned away from her suddenly as if he had heard something. He shook his head and chuckled slightly as he turned to look at her with a satisfied look on his face.

"What?" she asked clearly confused looking in the direction he had just turned from.

"Crow…how convenient of you to join us," the Joker laughed stepping away from Monica with a skip in his step clearly happy that the other man had decided to show up unexpectedly. Monica's eyes searched the darkness of the house before she too saw the lone figure leaning up against the far wall a few feet away.

Monica stared at the pair of men with fear; her money was on Joker for the time being. She hated Scarecrow with every fiber of her being. Both of them sized each other up briefly before the masked man looked over the clown's shoulder and fixed his gaze on her.

"I'm just here for the girl," Scarecrow warned the man in front of him. The purple clad clown smiled at him before cackling despite the pain that it caused him with his fresh wound.

"And I'm just here for the fun," the Joker replied stepping in front of Scarecrow visibly blocking him from being able to see Monica who was backing away from the pair.

"Can't say I didn't warn you," Scarecrow told him raising his arm and letting loose a mass of his hallucinogen gas straight onto the man in front of him. Monica's mouth dropped open in horror once she saw Scarecrow take down the clown so quickly.

"Father?" the Joker asked backing away from Scarecrow with fear apparent in his eyes. The masked man smiled upon seeing his gas work on the clown price of crime, even he wasn't able to resist its effects. He walked around the clown who was mumbling apologies at an imaginary figure. Monica backed away from him when she saw him approach her.

"Joker can't save you this time," he whispered to her reaching out to grab her neck before a kick to his back sent him stumbling towards Monica. She stepped out of the way and allowed him to fall onto the wooden floor beneath her in shock. She looked up to see the Joker standing over him with a bored expression on his face.

"You of all people should know, Crow," the Joker snarled at the man stepping on his back while pinning him, "I'm not afraid of anything," the clown laughed madly. His laughter seemed to increase when he realized that Scarecrow had actually believed that his gas had worked on him.

How absurd.

Monica uttered a sigh of relief once she realized that the Joker had been faking the phobia all along, Scarecrow wouldn't be taking her any time soon.

"Now if you'll excuse me," the Joker continued, stepping on Scarecrow's body while trying to balance himself on the other man's back as if he was on the tightrope. He hopped off eagerly as Scarecrow groaned beneath him, his masked eyes burning holes into Monica's own pair as she shivered and stepped away from him. "I have to escort my squeeze to her car," he stated grabbing Monica roughly while pulling her to the door.

He opened it and stepped outside without so much as checking for other men before two more guns were pointed at them the men clearly belonging to Scarecrow. He sighed in an irritated manner and raised his hands in a freeze position while biting his lower lip.

"Can I just have a minute?" he asked in an annoyed manner clicking his tongue in displeasure while Monica stepped closer to him. She heard the familiar clicking of nails against the wooden floors from within the house before his two Rottweilers bounded out and jumped on the pair of men. The two went down with the dogs struggling to get them off as the clown urged her towards her car.

She got in before realizing that the entire interior of her car was drenched with blood. She grimaced and turned to look at him while he smiled at the red that stained the black leather. Monica let her head fall onto the steering wheel in dismay, what excuse was she going to come up with now?

"Tell Brucey boy I say 'Hi'," the Joker commented with a cackle as Monica rolled her eyes at him before looking at Scarecrow who was still in the hold of the other goon.

"'Brucey boy' won't be too happy when he finds out it's your blood," Monica replied slamming the door to the car as the Joker stepped back.

"I know he won't appreciate it," Joker told her with a confident tone in his voice which made Monica wonder if the pair knew each other before. How could they when Bruce was a business man and the clown before her was a psychopath. "Take them with, they need a bath, don't forget to feed them or I'll be upset," he added as the pair of Rottweilers bounded into her car and sat obediently on her backseat. She stared at him about to protest before he silenced her and waved it off with a flick of his wrist.

"What am I supposed to do with them?" she asked clearly dumbfounded as the Joker turned his back on her and started to walk away.

"Keep em' for now, Crow and I have to pay Gambol's little brother a visit," he informed her. Gambol, the name sounded familiar to her, she couldn't place where she had heard it before. "Oh and don't forget to feed em' a little boy for breakfast, they love the chubby blonds the most," the Joker added making her smile slightly before shaking her head and turning the car on.

She drove away without another word glancing back periodically at the pair of dogs asleep in the backseat slobbering on everything they could get their mouths on.

Bruce was going to kill her.

**Review!**


	19. Bane

**Bane**

**A/N: Ah, another chapter is up my dears, I hope you enjoy! I would like to give my condolences to all of those affected by the shooting that happened in Colorado. Something like that shouldnt even be allowed to happen. I have to change the subject before I go all dark on you guys and get depressed -_- **

**Side notes:**

**TheCleverGirl : Dont worry, personally I prefer longer reviews XD Im glad that you like the story so far and Im glad that someone else likes the fact that Im taking my time with the Joker and my OC, I dont want to rush things and make it mary-sueish. Enjoy and let me know what you though!**

**LibertyForFreedom455: She cant exactly get rid of them, they belong to the Joker after all! So I guess she's stuck with em for a while ;D **

**Ravenclaw992:I laughed when you mentioned Bruce getting mauled by the dogs, it slipped my mind! Now that you reminded me, however, I wont forget to add that little detail in there somehow for my own entertainment XD**

**Zeny: Somehow, having Scarecrow in pain pleases me ;D I dont know why, it just does and it seems so right :D **

**LaurenvBelladonna: It wont be so hard to explain it after this chapter, although everyone seemed to like her little outburst with the goons as well. XD Enjoy!**

**SurroundedInDarkness: Who doesnt love the Joker? :3**

Monica drove down the empty streets of Gotham glancing every so often at the rearview mirror. She had already had enough of madmen for one night; she could only pray that she didn't run into any more. The pair of Rottweilers behind her picked their heads up and rested them on the headrest of her seat, Monica cringed when she felt them sniffing her hair and slobbering on her.

"Why does he have you guys in the first place?" she asked knowing full well that the pair of dogs wouldn't answer. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her own stupidity she stepped on the accelerator with more force making the car roar before it increased its speed.

One of the dogs whined at her making Monica turn her head to see what was wrong with it. She received a lick to her face courtesy of the larger dog before she turned away with anger; a shower was a definitely going to be necessary.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Wayne manor, a sigh escaped her lips after the third ring before Alfred picked it up.

"Miss Van Buren, is something wrong?" Monica heard him ask. Her mind screamed at her to tell him the truth, to confess that she had just run into the clown price of crime. Instead she tried to level her voice and answered with another cleverly put together excuse.

"No, Alfred," she replied slapping away one of the Rottweilers legs as the dog pawed at her arm. She resisted the urge to point out that they were just as unnerving and uncontrollable as their owner. "Listen, I'll be staying with my brother tonight, I thought I would let you know so you don't worry."

A sigh was heard on the other line; Monica held her breath waiting to see if the old butler had fallen for her lie.

"Master Wayne would like to know if it would be alright if he were to pick you up tomorrow evening, I am afraid he has another event and he would like your company," she heard Alfred say before shuffling reached her ears. She turned her head once more and yelled silently at the pair of dogs behind her. Both of the Rottweilers stared back innocently before licking the hand that she had stretched out warningly at them.

"Of course, Alfred, I'll be ready," Monica informed him before ending the call. She pulled her hand back in disgust upon having it drooled on by the dogs. The car came to a stop at a lonely intersection a few blocks away from her brother's house allowing her to get her thoughts together.

The events from a few hours ago were still playing through her mind when she noticed several motorcycles ride by. She tilted her head at the figure at the front of the pack, she whistled in admiration when she saw the mere stature and form of the man. Her eyes remained on him until he drove out of her sight, even then she couldn't shake his image from her mind.

The pair of dogs sitting behind her had their ears pulled back against their heads; their pearly white teeth were bared at the streets in front of her while their growling grew louder as each biker passed. Monica stared at the dogs in concern while the rest of the motorcycles drove by; she paid them no attention and merely continued to drive when the light turned green.

She would have to ask Dante about it later, time wasn't something she could waste at the moment. The tires of the Trans Am screeched to a stop outside of the large house, a sigh escaped her lips when she noticed her brother's own motorcycle wasn't in the driveway. He was probably still out patrolling the streets.

Her boots hit the gravel beneath her harshly as she got out of the car and prayed that the dogs didn't run off when she let them out as well. Much to her relief they jumped out and waited patiently for her while she retrieved the rest of her things.

"Uh, come on," she ordered awkwardly not really knowing what to call them or how to get them to do what she wanted. Yet again the pair of Rottweilers amazed her, they followed obediently behind her. The chilling winter air around her made her pick up her pace while she went up the wooden stairs and fumbled with the keys to the door.

Monica opened the door and stepped in not noticing that the lights were already turned on before she turned and allowed the dogs to step inside. She closed the door behind them and turned to go and get dressed before she rammed straight into a wall.

Or so she thought.

It wasn't until she felt the wall breathe that her heart skipped a beat. Her mouth dropped open in slight shock and horror as she stared at the man she had just rammed into, his gleaming grey eyes bore into her own.

"Lucifer?" she asked laughing nervously. The man in question stared back with an unamused expression on his face when the pair of Rottweilers ran around the large house exploring their new surroundings.

"You're not getting out of this one, love," his deep gravelly voice replied. Monica sighed and pressed her back against the door when the two dogs trotted over to her and smelled Lucifer's leg curiously. She watched the Rottweilers lose interest and leave her alone with him once more.

"I suppose you're right," she replied shaking her head. She motioned for him to follow her as she kicked off her boots and walked away from him. Lucifer followed behind shaking his head, for her sake the explanation for her latest calls had to be a glorious one…he had already lost sleep due to being constantly worried about her.

Monica walked into the luxurious black kitchen and pulled out two glasses from one of the cupboard before setting them down in front of Lucifer. He eyed them wearily as she opened the pantry and pulled out a bottle of her brother's expensive wine.

"I suppose keeping you in the dark about this whole situation would be foolish," she started pouring wine into her own glass before offering him the bottle. Lucifer took it from her and proceeded to filling his glass before setting it down between them.

"It would be," he replied as Monica shook her head and took a sip of the wine. She prepared herself for the long explanation that she was about to give.

Lucifer sat in front of her for more than an hour listening to the truth that she had kept from everyone. By the time she was done he had to admit that he was surprised to see her breathing and seated across from him.

"Listen, I know you didn't choose all of this," he told her when he noticed her head drop down in shame. The pair of dogs that were seated in the doorway tilted their heads at the sudden shift in her mood; Lucifer reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"I messed up, Lucifer," she groaned placing her head into her hands. The man before her pulled back and uttered a heavy sigh while his back rested against the backrest of the chair behind him. He ran a hand through his spiked hair letting everything she had told him sink in.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you were right," his voice pointed out as Monica glanced up at him in confusion. "You can't tell anyone about this, they'll think you were his accomplice and your brother will get dragged into it as well."

"His career would be ruined," Monica whispered in horror upon realizing what her actions could cause. She couldn't afford to be the reason for her brother losing his high rank amongst Gotham's police force; she would rather die than hurt him to that extent.

"Precisely," Lucifer told her finishing the wine that he had in his glass. As much as he hated himself for saying it, Joker had thought everything out to the last detail. She couldn't utter a word of her escapades with him unless she wanted to ruin her life and the life of those around her.

"Can you do me a favor?' she asked cracking her fingers as Lucifer's eyes shot up to meet her own. He waited for her to continue, "Could you take the Trans Am and get it thoroughly cleaned?" she asked slightly embarrassed. He pondered the request; he certainly had the means to do it. Lucifer nodded letting her know he would do the job as she sighed in relief.

Monica handed him the keys to the car relieved that it would be one less problem on her hands, at least she wouldn't have to explain the blood to Bruce. All that was left were the pair of dogs resting a few feet away.

"What would I do without you?" Monica asked looking up at him. A smirk spread through his handsome features making her blush as he shrugged his shoulders.

"You'd be left to deal with the Joker on your own, it's not something that you're particularly good at from what I've seen," he told her as she closed her eyes. Lucifer merely stood startling her, Monica looked at him questioningly.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Lucifer pulled on his leather jacket and gloves. He turned to look at her briefly before glancing at the clock on the screed of his phone. It was late; he was shocked to see he had spent most of the night with her.

"I have to get back, it's late," he replied as Monica nodded and watched him leave. She felt some of the guilt being lifted off of her chest, at least she had confided in someone. Her mind, however, reminded her of the scene she had seen hours ago making her rush after him in an attempt to ask him about it.

"Hey Lucifer!" she called as she ran towards the hall where he had just disappeared from. The biker turned to look at her expectantly as she caught her breath briefly. "I ran into some guys earlier, they rode black Harleys," she started before describing the same man from before to Lucifer. "Do you know anything about him?"

Lucifer sighed taking all of the information in and pondering her question, his mind came up blank.

"I've never ran into a biker wearing a black mask like you described," he answered as her lips dropped into a slight frown. "I'll ask Judas about it thought, perhaps he knows something about this," Lucifer added making Monica flinch inwardly. She hadn't mentioned Judas to him, it was best if she kept their little argument to herself.

"Alright," she replied as Lucifer nodded and opened the door, "oh, and Lucifer?" she called once more. The man stopped and turned to look at her letting some of the winter air creep in through the open door, "thank you, for everything."

His eyes brightened before he bowed his head at her and turned to leave.

"Any time, babe," he laughed before turning to look at her, "try to stay out of trouble will you?" he added before he let the door close behind him. Monica laughed lightly feeling better about her situation before the scampering of nails on the wooden floor brought her back down to earth.

The pair of bloodied Rottweilers stood before her; she shook her head in dismay before realizing the task that she had at hand. She coaxed them up the stairs with a piece of meat and closed the door to the bathroom after the dogs entered after her.

Monica reached around their necks and removed the black spiked leather collars around them. The blood red tags that hung from them caught her attention.

"Voodoo," she read out loud as one of the dogs perked its ears up. She stared at it curiously before reading the other. "Hoodoo," she had to suppress the laugh that begged to escape from her when she spoke them out loud. The two dogs stared up at her intently upon hearing their names before she managed to get the first, Voodoo, into the bathtub.

She turned the water on and started to clean the blood off of their pelts, the soap getting into her eyes from time to time when the large canine shook the white foam off.

"He certainly had a kick with naming you guys," she commented before the Voodoo dodged her hand and bit down on her shirt. The force of the tug that the dog gave on it was enough to send her forward and into the soapy water. Monica laughed before Hoodoo jumped in beside her splashing water all around the bathroom.

She scratched one of them behind their ears, the Rottweiler leaned into her touch begging for more as she sat there with them and continued to wash them.

"I have to admit, I like you better than Joker," she told one of the dogs before it licked her nose. She scrunched up her face at the feeling before laughing once more when both of them shook off the water on them at the same time.

The mess around her wasn't going to be easy to clean up, at the moment, however, she didn't care. Monica dried off the pair of dogs and let them go once they were suitable before stepping into the shower herself.

As she rested her head against the tile and though about everything that had led her to that moment she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. It was as if things in Gotham were about to get worse, why would the Joker leave his two dogs with her if everything was going according to plan?

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her small frame before tossing her black hair back and opening the door.

Monica changed into an oversized t-shirt before settling down onto her large bed. The pair of dogs pushed the door to her room open with their heads; she didn't even have time to stop them. Her head shook when the two Rottweilers bounded onto her bed and settled down at the ends with tired sighs.

She let the fireplace illuminate her room when sleep started to overcome her. Monica allowed herself to drift off completely unaware of the confrontation that was just about to happen on the opposite side of town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Are you mad?" Scarecrow hissed standing beside Joker. The clown next to him laughed lightly ignoring his question. The masked man didn't even know why he had gotten dragged along with the Joker; he didn't see what his purpose was other than entertaining the clown.

A gust of cold wind whirled around them as they stood on the roof of the building that they had located minutes ago. Gambol's brother was inside, visible through the window where the two men stood over. Joker stared at him with amusement while Scarecrow kept glancing around nervously fearing they would get caught.

"Stop that," Joker snapped feeling the glass beneath him vibrate when Scarecrow shifted slightly. One wrong move and they would both be crashing down onto the wooden floor beneath their feet.

"Did you hear that?" Scarecrow asked turning his head to the side. The Joker paused slightly and fingered the knife in his pocket anxiously. He certainly didn't miss the rumbling of the motorcycles that approached the large warehouse.

"He's here," Joker whispered eagerly pulling out a shotgun from his coat. Scarecrow turned to look at the man beside him in alarm when he noticed how heavily armed the clown had come. Something or someone had clearly caught his attention to deserve such weaponry. The fact that they were spying on the mobsters from the roof didn't slip his mind either, he knew Joker by now. The clown didn't like hiding himself; clearly whoever was beneath him was viewed as a potential threat by the Joker.

The masked man turned his attention back to the scene beneath him, he watched with interest as the mobsters instantly changed stances and became submissive. That caught his attention; he stared intently at the new arrival.

Scarecrow could faintly hear what they were saying; the glass muffled the voices and made it hard to decipher what was being spoken. The Joker on the other hand closed his eyes briefly, he could hear every single word, he didn't like what he was hearing.

Not. one. bit.

The clown turned to look at Scarecrow with displeasure written all over his features.

"He's taking over Gotham," Joker commented quietly as Scarecrow turned to look at the man beneath him in alarm. He could see him grip Gambol's brother by the neck and raise him up into a two feet death grip. The ex-psychologist stared down in slight fear at the new arrival, even though glass separated them he had a feeling he was not to be taken lightly.

The man was imposing even from afar; the mask that was strapped to his head gleamed eerily in the dim lighting provided by the warehouse lamps. Scarecrow wondered if the metallic tubes and leather straps were just for show or if they had a purpose. They certainly added to the man's commanding presence.

His muscles were clearly defined even beneath the black shirt and vest that he wore, they flexed as the grip on the mobster's neck increased.

"He clearly doesn't like Gambol's little brother," Scarecrow commented from beside Joker who had a deep frown placed on his painted lips. The man beneath him was going to be trouble; the clown had figured that out ever since he had first heard of his arrival in Gotham. He was an anarchist just like he was and in the end they shared one common goal: Gotham reduced to ashes.

"I would say he's having the time of his life," Joker commented when he heard the pleasing crack from the mobster's neck. The bones continued to crack even after the mobster's body had gone limp. Scarecrow stepped back slightly when the large man tossed the body aside clearly annoyed at the mobster and his men.

"Who is he?" Scarecrow asked curiously turning to look at Joker only to find the clown back on the concrete surface of the roof.

"Why don't ya ask?" the clown laughed pointing his shotgun at the glass beneath Scarecrow's feet. A shot rang out before the masked man felt the glass giving away, his body fell through and landed harshly on the wooden floor beneath him.

The Joker didn't stay for long; he tossed the shotgun over the edge of the roof knowing that it was bound to hit one of his goons on the head. It would teach them to pay more attention when they were out with him; he quickly left the roof and went down the fire escape ladder on the side of the building. He dropped down silent as ever behind his men.

"Mind your surroundings next time," he whispered to one of them before his blade slit their throat. The rest of his goons turned to look at him in alarm when they felt blood spray onto their backs. They watched in horror as one of their own was killed by their own boss.

"Let's go," Joker ordered stepping over the body without a second glance. He had gotten what he had come for; there was no need to remain there any longer.

The rest of his goons rushed over and turned the van on while holding the door open for their boss. The Joke looked back at the warehouse when he noticed the door being kicked open. The loud bang resonated in his ears as he watched the same man step out with Scarecrow in his grip, the light shining above him clearly confirming who he was to the Joker.

The clown turned away with one last frown before pulling out a control from the inside of his coat. He flipped the switch on it and jumped into the van pleased with the loud explosion that erupted behind him.

The goon that was driving glanced back at the building as it rose up in flames with a smile on his face hidden beneath the mask.

"I guess that took care of him, right boss?" he laughed expecting to hear the Joker's own cackle join his own. He got nothing but silence in return; he glanced at the thoughtful clown from the rearview mirror in concern. The Joker clicked his tongue in annoyance before pulling out a handgun from his pocket and shooting the mirror in annoyance.

The men around him jumping in fear, clearly their troubles were far from over.

"It's gonna take more than a couple of barrels of gasoline and gunpowder to get rid of him," Joker answered, the goon that had been driving turned to look at the clown amazed that he had even replied to his question. Clearly something was bothering the Joker and when he was unhappy people around him dropped dead in a matter of seconds for asking the wrong questions.

"Get rid of who?" another goon asked clearly confused as the Joker sneered and unloaded his gun into him. The man's body convulsed as bullet after bullet hit his chest, the blood splattered against the Joker's white make up, even then he didn't stop.

The clown tossed the gun aside in anger when it clicked; it had run out of bullets. He looked around at the rest of his men; all of them held their heads down and kept their gazes away from his own.

Even after his little outburst he found it in himself to answer the dead man's question. He could feel the hate in his voice spill out when he spat out the other man's name.

"Bane," the Joker spat as every head turned to look at him in alarm.

Gotham had gone from bad…to worse.

**Review!**


	20. Moves Like Jagger

**Moves Like Jagger**

**A/N: Ah, I got a lot of reviews! :DDD It made me want to update faster so here it is my dears! ;D On a completely different note, for those of you who have seen the movie the motorcycles should ring a bell! I must admit that your poor author has fallen in love with Bane -_-' but I digress, I'll be a Joker fan until my dying day XD Enjoy!**

**sgt pippa: Ya' know I'll agree with you, sometimes I too prefer Scarecrow over the Joker but the clown will always be my favorite :D Glad you like it so far, hope this doesn't disappoint!**

**Random Person 94: Im pretty sure that he's alive, they show him in the new movie and he looks pretty good to me ;D I dont think he dies in it XD And yes, Joker being unable to be in the movie was extremely tragic to me D: **

**Vento: Well, if you've seen the new movie and you know the Bane that I know...the conflict will be extremely ugly, bloody, and horrifying XD Those two should never cross paths cus' they're equally as dangerous -_-**

**lynnieloo25: Sadly I don't think Im going to add her XD and yes, deciding in between Bruce and the Joker is rather heartbreaking D: but someone's gotta do it! :D**

**Zeny: Joker all the way! ;D**

**Ravenclaw992: One word: amazing! That's how good the movie was XD and you can never have enough explosions in a fic ;D**

**TheCleverGirl: Ah, no one has ever told me something like that ;D Im honored that you like it so much XD and good, I try my hardest to keep the Joker in character, cus' it gets really weird when he doesn't act like himself in other fics -_- Anyway, enjoy!**

**MidnightDreams261: Well, I did update sooner than expected XD**

"Come on, Alfred!" Monica yelled at the butler. Alfred resisted the urge to sigh as he watched the young woman slide on the marble floor with a mop in hand. He wasn't about to start complaining either, she made the chores around the house more entertaining to do.

"Miss Van Buren you are going to hurt yourself," Alfred warned as he watched her slide across the doorway once more. Monica didn't even bother with replying, she was having too much fun to be bothered with her own safety.

The butler turned away from her for a brief second to glance out one of the various windows in the large dining room. The setting sun illuminated the house with a warm orange glow which made Alfred pause and admire the beauty of the scene. There was a brief moment of silence that he was allowed to enjoy while standing there, it seemed like a blessing to him.

Until he heard the dull thud of a body hitting the floor.

"Miss Van Buren, did I not warn you?" the butler commented without even turning to see. He already knew what had happened. A soft groan reached his ears before he turned to see the mop being flailed around in the air as a sign of surrender from the woman holding it.

"It was worth it," Monica commented from her place on the floor with a smile on her face. Her hands let the mop fall beside her while she sat up. Her untamed mass of curls fell from the loose ponytail she had made as she turned to look at Alfred with a pleased look on her face.

Alfred merely looked at her with a small smile on his own lips. He had been waiting for her to show who she truly was underneath all of the fear and sorrow that shrouded her and weighed her down. It had taken much too long for him to see the woman before him; he wasn't planning on letting her go back to who she was before by scolding her.

"I am sure it was," Alfred laughed quietly helping her up. She took his hand gratefully and dusted herself once she was back up on her own two feet. She tossed her hair back with an annoyed huff and picked up the feather duster that the butler had set on the table. Monica turned to look at him expectantly with the duster in hand while Alfred stared back in slight confusion.

"Aren't you going to show me what you usually do to clean this place up?" she asked looking around. Alfred glanced at the feather duster in her hand and then at her eager expression before laughing unable to hold it in any longer.

Monica stared back dumbfounded, had she said something?

"Miss Van Buren, you are a guest in this house," Alfred told her taking the duster from her hand. She sat down with a slight frown on one of the chairs of the dining table looking dejected. Alfred merely stood beside her with an unchanging expression. "You will not be cleaning up after Master Wayne, that is my job."

"It's the least I can do," Monica replied holing her head with one of her hands while the other rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I've done nothing but sit around, I'm useless," she commented dropping her arm while turning to look at him.

"Master Wayne has-" Alfred started once more as a smirk tugged at the edges of Monica's lips.

"Bruce doesn't have to know, come on Alfred, I don't have anything to do anyway," she pleaded reaching for the feather duster. The butler tossed it into his other hand and out of her reach making her pout slightly. She sprung up from the chair and reached for the mop before he could stop her, she ran out of the dining room with a triumphant laugh.

Alfred merely sighed and followed after her calmly before checking his watch, it was getting late. There was no way he was going to win an argument with her, of that he was certain.

"Very well, I always start here," the butler told her entering the main parlor room. Monica stared down at him from her position at the top of the stairs with the mop still in hand. A smile graced her lips upon hearing him. She descended the stairs and stopped at the bottom in order to hand him back the cleaning tool. Alfred took it from her and handed the duster back.

"Do I just dust everything off?" she asked curiously looking around the large room. Various antique decorating pieces were placed on nearly every surface. She cringed inwardly trying hard to imagine what each must have cost, she made a mental not to be extra careful when dusting them.

Alfred watched curiously when he observed the care she took with every piece, she would never finish if she spent five minutes on each picture and book. The intense look on her face faded away, however, when the duster accidentally turned on the large home theater system that she was cleaning.

She jumped back slightly when the song, 'Moves Like Jagger' filled the room. The urge to laugh hit her when she recalled where she had heard it the first time. Her mind instantly brought her back to when she had first arrived in Gotham.

Her brother had been driving her around the city in order for her to get used to it when it came on over the radio. Dante had always been the only one to put a smile on her face whenever she was unhappy but he had outdone himself that day. In an instant her frown had turned into a full out smile when he had started to dance to the song inside of the car.

Monica smiled when she remembered the looks they had gotten by the people that passed by, she hadn't cared back then and she still didn't. She could still hear Dante's booming laughter when the cops he would be working with gave him weary eyed looks.

Alfred stared at the woman before him when he noticed her sudden change in moods; her light laughter reached his ears as she pulled back and shook her head.

"Do you guys ever have fun in here?" she asked when she noticed the look Alfred was giving her. The butler merely resisted the urge to laugh along with her when he recalled what had happened last time.

"Miss Van Buren, the last time Master Bruce attempted to have fun in this house he ended up with a broken arm and a week in the hospital as a bonus," the butler replied as Monica shook her head and tried to hold back from laughing harder.

She felt awful for laughing at Bruce, she wondered what he had done to deserve a week in the hospital. The music around her, however, prevented her from thinking about it any further.

"Dance with me," she called to Alfred while the butler merely shook his head at her. This was her time to let loose for once, to forget everything that had happened over the last few weeks. Alfred merely stood back and watched with amusement as the young woman finally dropped her defense barriers and enjoyed herself for the first time.

The thing that got to him was the fact that she was still dancing with the feather duster in her hand.

Monica felt her worries fade into the background for the briefest of seconds. She didn't have to worry over the Joker or Scarecrow barging into her life unexpectedly. The pair of Rottweilers that she had left at her brother's house were forgotten along with the bloodied car that she had to pick up later that week.

Her brief moment of joy was cut short when she heard someone clear their throat. Monica froze instantly; she turned to look at Bruce who stood in the doorway with a straight face.

Alfred resisted the urge to face palm at the young billionaire, he had just ruined something that would probably never happen again. It had taken her so long to finally come out of her shell and in mere seconds Bruce had managed to reduce her to the same woman they had taken in weeks ago.

Bruce watched as Monica set down the feather duster nervously before reaching over for her grey hoodie. She slipped it on hurriedly and tossed her curled hair over one shoulder avoiding his eyes the whole time.

"I shall send the maids up to assist you, Miss Van Buren," Alfred called after her as she brushed past Bruce quiet as ever. Not even her footsteps could be heard as she went up the stairs in a rush.

The playboy stood completely still before he closed his eyes briefly knowing the lecture that was coming from Alfred. Instead he received nothing but silence when his butler approached him and walked by.

"Master Wayne, will you ever learn?" Alfred asked serving the playboy the glass of water that he had requested.

Bruce merely remained quiet and tugged off his tie; he regretted startling her like that. After considering everything she had been through the last thing she needed was someone sneaking up on her like he had done.

"It will take several days for the same woman to return," Alfred scolded, clearly unhappy at the man in front of him. Bruce looked away knowing that what his butler had spoken was true. He had singlehandedly managed to knock her down in mere seconds. The fact that she had tossed on her large hoodie when he had entered the room proved it. It had taken her several days to wear more form fitting clothes whenever she was around him.

"Beautiful," Bruce whispered twirling the glass in his hand. Alfred turned to look at him briefly wondering if he had said something.

"Did you say something, Master Wayne?" the butler asked as Bruce handed him the empty glass.

"She was beautiful," the billionaire replied. The brief flash that he had caught of Monica dancing had been the reason he had been paralyzed in the doorway.

The usual curled black hair that he saw on other women seemed to suit her better when it followed after her every move. The fake laughter that surrounded him whenever he mingled with other aristocrats seemed genuine when it escaped through her lips, he couldn't get enough of it.

Alfred stared at him for a moment before turning away and placing the glass aside.

"You always say that, Master Wayne," Alfred reminded him making Bruce furrow his brow. The playboy shook his head and stood from the stool that he had been sitting on.

"This is different," Bruce snapped unaware of how defensive he truly sounded. The butler in front of him stared at the playboy intently trying to figure out what was going through his mind.

"Well, different or not, you have to get ready," Alfred reminded him ushering the man out of the kitchen. Bruce allowed himself to be led to his room but before he could reach it he stopped just outside her door noticing it had been left partially open.

"Why are you so sad, mademoiselle?" one of his maids asked. Bruce paused slightly when he heard sniffling from the other side. He could also hear the maids shuffling around desperately trying to get her ready in a short amount of time.

"I just miss the life that I had before," Monica replied shakily. Bruce stepped back and sighed before entering his room. He closed the door behind him, even then her words continued to echo through his mind.

Any other woman would have been glad to have been surrounded with the comforts and riches that he had offered to her. He laughed to himself, she had taken everything he had offered to her and gave it back. The look of guilt that crossed her face whenever they ate dinner together never left Bruce's mind. He had realized that she hated it whenever he went out of his way to buy the most expensive wine he could get his hands on or the best cut of meat.

He waited patiently for her at the door thinking everything through; his mind was brought back down to earth when he heard the soft click of her heels on the stairs. He turned to look at her and the two maids that followed after her fixing her hair still and powdering her face.

"Enough," he ordered at the two before dismissing them. Monica scrunched up her nose and sneezed lightly while she tried to get used to the makeup that they had forced her to wear.

"Bless you," Bruce told her offering her his hand; she thanked him quietly and took it without looking at him. He sighed as he helped her into the car and turned to look back at Alfred who merely gave him a warning glance, the playboy nodded back knowing that he had to at least try and fix things.

The drive to the city was disturbingly silent; Monica kept her gaze on the window purposely avoiding Bruce. The playboy on the other hand tried to get her attention several times, he resisted the urge to growl in frustration, his charms were having no effect on her like they usually did with his other conquests.

"Is everything alright for you at the mansion?" Bruce asked breaking the silence in between them. Monica turned to look at him without fail, Bruce resisted the urge to smile at himself, he finally had her attention.

"It's perfect," she replied immediately turning away from him once more. The billionaire sighed, so much for having her attention. Monica closed her eyes, she didn't want anything from him, he had already done enough by offering her his home. Her mind reminded her of the pair of dogs at her brother's house, despite Dante agreeing she knew she couldn't keep them there for long. "Actually, there is something," she added turning to look at him once more.

Bruce looked at her expectantly when they reached a red light, Monica on the other hand debated on whether she should tell him or not.

"I've been thinking of getting a pair of dogs," she started as Bruce nodded quietly. He saw no wrong in that, especially when she needed the extra protection. "Maybe some Rottweilers or Pitbulls," she commented before his mind went blank.

"No," he growled before he could stop himself. Monica jumped at the tone he had used before dropping her head once more; she knew it had been a longshot anyway.

Bruce cursed at himself for snapping at her in such a manner, it had been uncalled for. After all she had requested something so simple that even he saw it absurd to react in such a manner. He wasn't about to forget that he had gotten mauled by two Rottweilers a couple of weeks ago.

The fact that they had been the Joker's dogs enraged him even more; he still bore the scars that the dogs had left behind. Then again, she didn't know any of that; it wasn't her fault for asking.

Bruce breathed out slowly trying to calm his temper when they arrived at the venue for the event; he helped her out of the car and ignored the flashing cameras that surrounded him. His arm slipped around her waist out of instinct making her tense as they walked towards the pair of double doors.

"Bruce Wayne, this is the second time we've seen you with this beauty," a paparazzi woman shouted over the crowd as Bruce turned to look at her warningly. "Is there something that sets her apart from all of your other conquests?" she asked before Bruce led Monica into the building.

She turned to look at him with worry when he stepped through the door with a look of outrage on his face. Monica kept silent as he pushed her gently towards the crowd that awaited them, even more cameras assaulted them and several more questions like the one before were thrown at Bruce.

By the time that they arrived at the party the grip that Bruce had on Monica's waist had increased to the point of her cringing in pain.

"Please, don't squeeze so tight," she begged him making Bruce release her instantly. He stepped back, he hadn't even realized he had been hurting her; he had been too distracted with keeping his temper in check to notice her predicament.

He apologized before leading her out into the balcony, he needed fresh air to clear his mind, he wasn't about to leave her alone amongst the bachelors in the party either. They would pick up on her defenselessness and surround her like a pack of blood hounds.

"It's beautiful at night, isn't it?" she spoke up turning to look at the city around her. Bruce on the other hand wasn't looking at the lights or the buildings, his eyes were fixed on the woman beside him.

"Yes, beautiful," he replied turning away from her just as she turned to look at him. Monica was about to say something else before the familiar rumbling of motorcycles caught her attention. She glanced down at the streets with curiosity trying to see what it was before Bruce's hand settled on the small of her back.

"I'll be right back," he whispered to her, he had been called over by someone inside. Monica watched as he turned and headed into the main room once more. Even then, the muscles that had tensed with his touch didn't relax. She felt her cheeks burn up before she turned away towards the winter air in an attempt to cool them.

"I thought he'd never let you out of his sight," a voice from her left commented as goose bumps ran up and down her body. She knew the voice all too well; she turned towards the source with panic. Her chest rose up and down at a quick pace as she tried to steady her breathing.

"Judas?" she asked horrified beyond belief. The biker stepped out of the shadows and laughed at her reaction. Monica stepped back when he stepped forward.

"Look at you, I can hardly recognize you amongst all of these fat cats," he told her walking up beside her. Monica couldn't move a single muscle; she remained frozen next to him. Memories of the last time she had seen him flashed through her mind, she could still feel the sting from the backhand that he had given her.

"Why are you here?" she asked looking around for Bruce, out of all the times he could have picked to leave her it had to be now?

"You haven't answered my calls," he told her in an annoyed manner. The grin that had lured her to him before had little effect now, she felt like turning and running as far away from him as she possibly could.

"Judas, now isn't the best time to discuss this," she started before he cut her off.

"Now is the perfect time to talk!" he snapped at her as she shrunk beneath his imposing figure. A mere shift from his arm was enough to make her step back and shield herself with one arm. Judas pulled back with a frown upon seeing this.

"You think I'm going to hit you again, don't you?" he asked her seizing her arm while pulling her to him. She became submissive beneath his hold when he pressed her up against the wall where he had been hiding before.

"Please stop, it hurts," she whined pathetically while squirming when he increased the pressure in his grip. Tears fell from her eyes when he held her in place and leaned in slowly. The attraction that she had felt towards him had died by now, she turned away unintentionally giving him access to her neck.

He bit down on the sensitive skin harshly making her cry out and squirm even more when she felt her own blood running down her collarbone. Judas merely licked it away ignoring the 'J' that had been carved into her skin. He met her gaze and tilted his head at her tears stricken face.

"There's a storm coming, love," he whispered into her ear, she cringed away from his hot breath and clawed at the stone wall behind her in a desperate attempt to get away. "You'd do well to stay away from these people or you might get caught up in in," he hissed before crashing his lips down onto hers. He kissed her fiercely while the grip on her waist increased to the point where she knew he would leave a bruise.

Monica struggled against him disgusted with the fact that she wasn't even able to pull away from him. He let her go after a few seconds, she stepped away gasping for air before rushing inside with a look of utter terror on her face.

She bumped into Bruce due to her looking back to see if Judas had followed. Monica nearly cried out in joy when she saw the playboy looking down at her with concern.

"Can we please leave?" she cried silently clinging to his jacket with one hand while the other shielded her neck from his eyes. Bruce stared at her with confusion before placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her; several people were starting to look at them due to her disheveled appearance.

The playboy pulled his hand back the instant it touched her skin, she was freezing. He took off his jacket and put it around her shaking frame before leading her towards a more secluded area. Away from the stares of the other guests he turned his attention back to her.

"What happened?" he asked. He left her for five minutes and she came back a mess.

"Please, Bruce," she begged looking around in horror, "please just take me home," she cried unable to handle what she had just gone through. Bruce nodded back knowing he couldn't refuse her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her towards the elevator. He didn't bother in asking her again about what had happened, he knew he wasn't going to get anything out of her tonight.

Her shaking arms never left his waist as he walked through the lobby of the building; the lack of paparazzi was a blessing to Bruce. He sighed when he noticed his car had been parked close by, he took the keys from the boy at the door who insisted he could retrieve it. After a pointed look from the billionaire, however, he had handed the keys over to him.

The door to his car flung open as he carefully set Monica down onto the seat, she stared up at him with unsure eyes.

"Nothing will happen to you," he told her crouching in front of her trying to calm her. The trembling hand that he held in his own told him he wasn't succeeding. "I won't let anyone hurt you," he assured her before he caught a sight of her bloodied neck when she lowered her hand.

He grit his teeth and resisted the urge to demand answers from her, it would only upset her more if he did. Bruce let go of her hand unable to bear looking at her in that state and closed the door before entering the car himself.

The Lamborghini roared to a start as they drove away, Monica kept her gaze on the floor of the car while her hands held on to the jacket that she had around her. Bruce on the other hand refused to look at her when she tried to get his attention. Not knowing what he thought of her was killing her; she must have made quite a scene back at the party. She hated herself for ruining his night.

She hadn't expected to see Judas there nor had she planned for him to catch her off guard and take advantage of her. Monica beat herself up for being so weak, perhaps if she had fought harder it wouldn't have happened.

Her mind screeched to a halt, however, when she saw Bruce offer her his hand while he rested it over the gear shift. She stared at it for a brief moment and then at him, he still wasn't looking at her. Monica hesitantly placed her own over the one he had offered, Bruce closed his hand around her own noticing how cold she was.

He turned to look at her for the first time, Monica merely stared back hoping he would forgive her for getting herself into trouble whenever he wasn't there.

"We've had a rough night," Bruce commented turning his head to look at the road once more. The small smile that tugged at the edges of his lips told Monica everything; she uttered a sigh of relief when she knew he hadn't been angered by her. She knew that didn't mean she wouldn't have to give him an explanation, she was dreading it already. How was she supposed to tell him?

She rested her head against the seat and breathed in slowly trying to get her thoughts together. Bruce was right; it had been a rough night.

With that thought, she fell asleep next to him in the car still holding on to his hand.

**Review!**


	21. Operation: Scarecrow

**Operation: Scarecrow**

**A/N: Well, I meant to update this sooner but I was too tired to write. So after sleeping (four hours -_-) I decided to grab my laptop and write this chapter up, its been nagging at me ever since I thought of it. Because I feel bad for leaving Scarecrow with Bane in the last chapter, I mean who wants to be stuck with him? Besides me :3 I'd probably jump Bane if I saw him and never let go XD Anyway, enjoy my dears!**

**Side notes: **

**Guest: :] lmfao **

**Sunshine Reaves: Well that was certainly a disturbing story and I cant imagine my life without oreos or being restricted to them, I raid the fridge and pantry whenever I have the chance to and somehow I am still skinny -_- Having black hair isn't that bad! (Yours truly has the pleasure of having black hair) XD Sucks about the bike though, I didn't have mine stolen but I did manage to fly off of it last week and scrape my dumbass all over the damn sidewalk, I even got a cut on my cheek and my brother enjoys making fun of me by calling me 'Joker' because of it -_- the bastard. Being crazy shouldn't even be handled like that, because in all honestly what is "normal"? Everyone has a little insane counterpart that they keep locked away, I have a hard time in hiding it sometimes XD Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter because it features Scarecrow :D **

**BakedBread: No my dear, Bale is beyond 'hot'. Seriously, every time I watch one of the batman movies I cant stop staring at him ;D Cuz' you know, he's that goddamn gorgeous and amazing :D **

**LaurenvBelladonna: Im glad that I managed to keep Bruce in character, I was having my doubts! And yes, maybe he should cross paths with Judas, it would certainly be interesting ;D Thank you for suggesting that, Im tempted to add it!**

**Ravenclaw992: Well I was going for 'creepy'. Im glad I achived it XD And I can almost picture Monica arriving at the mansion with the pair of dogs! Imagine the dilemma that would ensue, the dogs would try to jump him and Bruce would try to kill them XD**

**AmeliaDogwood: First off, thank you for reviewing! I love hearing from you guys and everyone seemed to have gotten inspired by the cleaning segment XD I had that happen the other day to the same song too! And don't worry, your not the only one who wants to jump Judas ;D**

**Lau: 'Jokerless' XD I stared at that for a while before realizing that it wasn't a real word, I love you for coming up with it though. **

**Smiele: I personally think Bruce would do more than just defend her. Come to think of it, Im afraid of what he'd do if they did cross paths and he knew everything that he had done to Monica. I'll consider it though, it would certainly make things more interesting!**

**TheCleverGirl: I couldn't agree more! Ah I just hate it when they have the Joker INSTANTLY fall for someone as soon as he makes eye contact. Like really? He's more complicated than that, I mean he's a madman for crying out loud! You cant expect someone like that to feel something like love and understand it then and there. Im relieved that someone else sees my reasoning behind holding him and Monica back like that because you cant expect her to see him in that manner for a while, I mean he kills people for al living, who's to say he wont kill her if she says or does something to annoy him. As far as Judas goes, he's currently on the hitlist of several other reviewers XD so we'll see where he ends up! **

**sgt pippa: Ah, I know some of my other readers want her to end up with Bruce but nevertheless she'll go for the Joker. It just hasn't happened yet, although I'm going to get things moving in this chapter, it's been too long since anything happened between the two! ;D **

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Its not as soon as I wanted to update it but here it is!**

Monica walked calmly down the streets of Gotham with the pair of Rottweilers by her side. The people that were walking on the sidewalk towards her went out of their way to avoid going near the two dogs. Monica merely frowned at them for having so little trust in them, after spending a week with them she had grown rather fond of the pair.

They growled warningly whenever someone got too close to her which she appreciated. At least she had that in her favor, she could hear whenever someone tried to approach her and be on her guard. Not that she needed to be, she had seen the Rottweilers take down two men already, she was sure they could handle whatever came at her.

Monica continued on her walk, her black gloved hand reached up to adjust her purple scarf when a cold gust of air hit her. She sighed when she realized the color she had picked; she made a mental note to avoid it in the future.

Before she could ponder on her wardrobe any further the pair of dogs in front of her started to whine and pull on their leather leashes. Monica held them in place and looked around for the source of their sudden energy burst.

The screech of tires against the pavement made her close her eyes in regret; she hoped it wasn't who she thought it was.

"Get in," a weary voice ordered as soon as the black escalade pulled up next to her. She grit her teeth failing to recognize the voice before turning her head sharply at the tinted window.

"Who do you think you are?" she snapped stepping away from it hurriedly, she wasn't about to go and get herself kidnapped again. If they tried anything all she had to do was let go of the dogs in her grasp and they would be dealt with.

"It's the Boogeyman," the man commented with a hint of annoyance in his voice before the window was lowered. Monica found herself staring at the Joker once more; she looked around immediately to see if anyone else had noticed him.

Sighing when she noticed no one had stopped to look she turned her attention back to the clown in front of her. She could tell he had spent several days without rest, his usual smile was there but it lacked the enthusiasm that it usually had. His eyes stared at her in a dull manner which made her hold back another comment that might have gotten her neck sliced if it slipped out of her mouth.

"Get in before anyone sees or I'll have to kill someone and risk spraining something," he commented with a light laugh. The dogs next to her whined even more and wagged their stumpy tails in excitement upon seeing the clown once more, they jumped from side to side eager to get closer him.

Monica sighed and found herself smiling at his comment. Endless thoughts ran through her mind, why was she even talking to him? If anyone found out it would spill disaster for everyone around her, she was dancing with the devil when it came to the Joker. One wrong move and her life was over.

She shook her head slightly before the back door opened and the two dogs jumped in with joyed yips. Before she could stop she found herself sitting down in the backseat and closing the door behind her. The car lurched forward before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Monica found herself jumping out of the seat in surprise and gripping the one in front of her in fear. A laugh reached her ears; the sound was familiar by now. She cursed while turning to look at one of the Joker's goons.

"Grumpy, you scared the hell out of me," she cried hitting the other man on his shoulder. The Joker looked at her from the rearview mirror surprised that she had gotten used to his men already. The clown felt his jaw clench upon seeing her laugh along with his goon. He turned his attention back to the road ahead as the man next to him continued to drive.

"Sorry, babe," Grumpy apologized shrugging his shoulders. Monica rolled her eyes before shifting her body in order to look at him better. From what she could see he had green eyes, an amazing shade of emerald that managed to take her breath away for a brief moment.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you?" she asked him before she heard the familiar sound of a shotgun being pumped. Monica turned slightly to see the Joker lower the window once more and look around for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"You could call it a rescue mission," Grumpy replied as Happy scoffed beside him. The rest of the goons shifted slightly, some even rolled their eyes. "Scarecrow got on Bane's bad side, now we gotta' go save his sorry ass," Grumpy added as even more eye rolls followed after the word 'save'.

"Bane?" Monica asked in curiosity, the name didn't sound familiar to her.

"Not the type to cross, his trademark is a mask that he wears all the time," the goon told her as Monica opened her mouth in surprise.

"Imposing type of guy, he wears a vest that shows off his muscles right?" she asked trying to connect the man she had seen driving a motorcycle the other night. The Joker's eyes shot over to her once more through the mirror, the way she described Bane and the fact that she had seen him didn't sit well with him.

"That's the guy," Grumpy added nodding his head in approval while snapping his fingers simultaneously. Monica paused slightly, so that was his name…Bane.

It had a nice ring to it or at least that's what she thought.

"I'm guessing you're on your way over to get Scarecrow back and you needed the dogs," Monica realized as she looked at the Rottweilers sitting beside her. Grumpy merely kept his gaze on her, he had a feeling something was bound to go wrong with her around as a distraction for all of them.

"You were a pleasant surprise, though," he commented before Monica laughed once more. So she was on a rescue mission that was probably going to end badly and she hadn't even been included in the first place.

Luck didn't seem to be on her side now a days, there was no backing out now. She had a feeling that the Joker would throw her out of the moving truck if she so much as asked for them to take her back. He had done it once, there was nothing stopping him.

She didn't have any more time to talk to Grumpy as the truck screeched to a halt once more sending everyone flying forwards. Monica collided with the seat in front of her, she pulled back with a groan before noticing she had just rammed into the Joker's seat.

Much to her surprise the clown didn't even say anything. He merely got out of the truck with surprising grace and pulled her out when the door was opened by one of his goons.

She didn't say anything as she watched the men around her gear up, guns were loaded and hid in their jackets while grenades were thrown above her head to the goons around her.

"What's the plan, boss?" Happy asked when they were all ready. The Joker ignored the man and turned to look at the abandoned meat processing plant where they had tracked Bane down to.

"Come back with Scarecrow or I'll shoot you myself," the clown informed his men before turning sharply and grabbing Monica by her arm. Grumpy watched as she tried to regain her footing after the harsh tug before he turned away and headed in a different direction.

The crowd of goons scattered and searched for a way in.

Monica struggled to keep up with the Joker as he rounded a corner and scanned the side of the building intently. She didn't even know why she was with him in the first place. Her mind tried reasoning with her, tried to get her to turn and leave while she still could.

Something kept her there; she couldn't explain what it was.

She didn't have time for much thought at the moment anyway; she felt the clown place something in her hand. Startled, she looked down to see the same knife as before in her tight grip. She surprised herself; she hadn't even realized she had grabbed it.

"Keep quiet or I'll snap your neck and silence you," the Joker warned her before motioning over to a door a few feet away from them. Monica tilted her head and noticed there was a guard posted right beside it; she turned to look at the clown in confusion.

How was he planning on getting past the man without him unloading every bullet in his AK-47 and alerting everyone?

"Call him over," the clown ordered pressing himself up against a stack of wooden crates. Monica looked at him once more with doubt before considering her options.

"Excuse me, could you help me?" she heard herself say before she had even thought it through. She kept surprising herself; she was acting without thinking and following the clown's orders without protest. Something was clearly wrong with her, perhaps she hadn't slept enough?

"You aren't supposed to be here, little girl," the man commented leaving his post and walking over to her. She watched him pass the crates without a glance before he pointed his gun at her. Smiling, she rose her hands in a sign of surrender.

"What's so funny, I'm about to blow your brains all over the pavement," the man told her before she watched the Joker smile at the man. She knew that look by now, nothing good came with it.

"He's behind you," Monica pointed out. The man started to turn before the Joker gripped his head and turned it sharply. Despite her previous bravery Monica found herself closing her eyes unable to bear the sight of him killing someone. The sickening crack that came from the man's neck reached her ears before she felt the clown grab her arm once more.

"You're gonna have to get used to that, " he hissed at her pulling her along annoyed that she had looked away. Death was something that happened every day; it was trivial that it disturbed her to the extent of looking away.

He shoved her in through the doorway and waited before he stepped in after her. He paused and motioned for her to stay quiet before looking around. Content with the lack of security he stepped forward once more and walked silently through the blood splattered equipment that had been left behind.

The large machinery provided the perfect cover, Monica followed after him nervously. Her hand shook uncontrollably in fear, the realization that they could die finally setting in when she saw the clown take down another man. Unlike the other guard this one had managed to slice the Joker's arm open before breathing his last breath.

She stared at the wound with worried eyes before the clown turned on her and gripped her jaw with a steel grip. He pressed her up against a wooden table with a saw on it, the teeth from the razor dug into her back making her wince in pain.

"Pay attention," he snarled at her, his trademark grin now gone, "you're gonna get us killed, beautiful," he added before releasing her. She pushed her body away from the saw before reaching back and feeling the cuts that he had left behind. She brought her bloodied hand up for a better view before the sound of breaking bones reached her ears. An ear splitting scream tore through the warehouse as she instinctively stepped closer to the Joker.

The clown resisted the urge to sigh, hadn't he just warned her about paying attention? What could she possibly achieve with hiding behind his back?

He knew the tone of the scream all too well, his frown turned into a sneer. Clearly Bane was having his fun with Scarecrow; no doubt the ex-psychologist was lying in a pool of his own blood by now.

They continued to make their way through the warehouse before the clown started to head up into the offices on the second floor. He would need to see the place from above; it would give him an idea of what he was dealing with.

When they stepped into the first of the rooms, however, they noticed the doorknob leading to the other room was being turned. Monica panicked before she was pulled into a supply locker, much to her surprise it had been emptied out and the shelves had been removed. It was a good thing or else they wouldn't have been able to use it as a hiding place.

Monica soon noticed her predicament; the tight space was forcing her body up against the clown in front of her. While he didn't seem to care she was completely uncomfortable with the whole situation, she couldn't even move without touching him. The Joker on the other hand ignored Monica for the time being, his eyes were fixed on Bane's men, the two men searched the room intently.

His eyes shifted to the woman in front of him when he felt her move, every inch of her body was against his own. He couldn't help but shift as well, he couldn't even recall the last time when he had been this close to a woman without strangling her. The feeling was certainly foreign to him, what disturbed him was the fact that it wasn't unwelcome either. He sneered slightly at himself before his thoughts were cut short, his eyes landed on her neck where he had carved in his trademark signature.

The fading bite mark above it got his blood boiling, she was _his. _She belonged to no one but _him. _She was _his _puppet; he thought he had made it perfectly clear. He leaned forward to get a better look earning himself a questioning glance from Monica when she felt his body press up against her own.

The deep blush that settled onto her cheeks upon having him so closer didn't go unnoticed by the clown. He paid little attention to it; he even ignored her obvious staring at the pair of scars on the sides of his face.

Monica had to stop herself from reaching up in between them to run her hands over them, the temptation to see what they felt like was strong. Still, it wasn't worth having her hands cut off for trying, she intended to keep them for the time being. That didn't stop her from making other observations about him.

The strong scent of gasoline and gunpowder filled her senses when he moved his head slightly making her close her eyes and dropped her head against him. The soft feel of his purple coat brushed up against her cheek as she tried to calm her thoughts while his scent refused to leave her.

The Joker on the other hand only had one thought running through his mind: slaughter. He wanted to make whoever had touched her pay, she was off bounds and someone had gone ahead and defied him by marking her.

His jaw clenched to the point where she could hear his teeth grinding against one another. She tilted her head upwards against his chest to see what had bothered him. His arm shot up despite the restricted space and snapped her head to the side to get a better look at the offending mark.

Monica's head connected with the metal surface of the locker with the force that he had used alerting the guards outside. They moved swiftly over to them, that wasn't what scared Monica the most. The pure look of rage in the Joker's eyes was enough to make her panic and struggle against him, her face paled when she remembered the mark Judas had left behind.

Before any of them could do anything the door the locker was opened making both of them fall over and drop onto the pair of guards who had been standing outside. The Joker quickly disposed of the man beneath him by slicing his throat open before he looked over at Monica.

She remained completely still underneath the other man. The clown rose quickly and moved over to her in irritation. If anyone was going to kill her it was going to be him, not some petty guard. He kicked the man off of her before he noticed the blade imbedded into his chest.

His eyes snapped over to Monica, she stared back with a horrified look in her eyes. She had just killed someone.

She killed someone.

The Joker merely sighed before heaving her up and taking his knife out of the other man's chest. He put it back into her shaking hands and held her neck while leading her out of the room. Monica kept her gaze on the floor as the clown led her through the other rooms.

She was a murderer.

The thought would leave her mind. She ran into the Joker's back alerting him that she hadn't been paying attention. He sighed and turned to look at her ready to scold her for being so careless before the words died in his throat at the sight behind her.

Grumpy held Scarecrow up by supporting his weight. Truth be told the ex-psychologist looked three quarters dead. Blood dripped down from his crimson mask, staining the floor beneath him. His head hung low making Joker wonder if the man was still alive.

"Bane stopped torturing him for a few minutes, I saw no other way," Grumpy explained as the Joker nodded clearly dumbfounded at the state in which Scarecrow was in. "We need to move, he'll notice he's missing."

Monica found herself being pulled along once more as the clown led them through the labyrinth of boxes and machinery. They were close to the exit, just a few more steps and they would be outside once more.

The Joker tilted his head at the pair of Rottweilers when they flew by and entered the warehouse snarling madly. He turned when he noticed Monica was nowhere near him, his eyes shot over to Grumpy realizing that she wasn't by his side either.

The growling that came from his two dogs startled him enough to make him turn and look in the direction of the door. His mouth parted slightly in shock when he saw Bane holding Monica up in a death grip. Her hands scratched wildly at his wrist trying to release the hold he had on her while the two dogs mauled the pair of guards that stood in front of Bane.

"You brought this on yourself, clown," Bane warned him increasing the pressure on the young woman's neck. Her desperate chokes reached the clown prince of crime's ears, Grumpy looked at the scene with horror, he was going to break her neck any moment.

Before any of them could do anything the door slammed shut in front of them. The whining that came from the two dogs snapped Grumpy out of his daze.

"Boss we gotta' go," he called at the clown who stood still looking at the door. Grumpy didn't realize that the clown was already planning to get back at Bane. The Joker turned sharply cursing underneath his breath knowing Bane wouldn't kill her. He wasn't stupid, he was going to use her, of that the clown was certain.

He jumped into the truck as it pulled away and slammed the door shut before snapping his body to look at Scarecrow.

"The girl, what about the girl," the masked man mumbled half conscious. Despite the fact that he had been in immense pain the whole time he had managed to see what had happened when they had gotten out.

"Forget about the girl," the Joker snapped clearly unamused. When things didn't go as he had planned them his mood dropped drastically. "You cost me my pair of dogs," the clown snarled pulling his hand back and punching Scarecrow. The man groaned and spit out blood before laughing despite the pain that he was feeling.

"She saved your life," Scarecrow pointed out as Joker sat back against his seat, "she made sure you got out of there, if that had been you Bane would have snapped your neck without hesitation."

The Joker turned towards him clearly irritated before hitting Scarecrow once more with such force that it rendered him unconscious. Grumpy stared back at the clown noticing how his brow furrowed in thought; despite his deep hatred towards the man he knew Scarecrow was right.

The Joker merely looked out of the window with his smile back in place.

He would burn down half of Gotham to take her from Bane without hesitation, the city didn't mean much to him anyway. The rivalry that he and Bane had, however, was certainly worth reducing everything to ashes.

After all, he had enough gasoline to light up a whole city.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Bane released the woman in his grip and let her crash down onto the floor carelessly. He walked over to the pair of dogs that were currently tearing the throats of his men out before he kicked one of them successfully rendering it useless when he heard the dog's skull shatter beneath his boot.

He reached over and snapped the neck of the other dog before walking over to the woman once more. Monica coughed trying to get air back into her lungs before she felt him grip the back of her shirt. He dragged her over the harsh floor cutting her up in the process; she didn't even have the strength to fight back.

She smiled despite everything, they had managed to get away. Monica had noticed Bane had been following them for a while, she had even walked slowly to stay behind as a distraction. She didn't know what had caused her to do such a foolish act. The pleasure that she got when she saw the rage in Bane's eyes when the Joker got away was priceless.

"They got away," one of Bane's men informed him as the masked man nodded. Of course they did, he had allowed it after all. They wouldn't have made it out alive if he hadn't planned for it. The woman in his grasp had been his main target all along.

"He will come for her," Bane informed his men before pulling Monica up. She stared weakly into his onyx eyes, she wondered if they were truly black or if her mind was playing tricks on her. "The game has begun," he added glancing at the meat hook that hung from the ceiling behind her.

Monica followed his gaze and shook her head wearily when she realized what he was about to do. She struggled against his hold as he rose her above him with ease and lowered her onto the hook at a slow pace.

Her screams echoed through the warehouse when the metal punctured her skin, Bane merely let her go once she was secured onto it. Hot tears streamed down her face as she continued to scream in pain, the men around her looked away while several even closed their eyes.

Monica could feel blood run down her back as the hook dug into her skin and held her up; she stopped struggling when she noticed she was only going to cause more pain to herself.

Bane merely stood in front of her, his gaze never leaving her own. Her blood dripped down and formed a small puddle beneath her. She gasped unable to scream as the agony that coursed through her became unbearable; she choked and reached back for the bloodied hook with one hand. It slipped unable to firmly grip it due to the blood on it.

Her half lidded eyes stared at him pleadingly; she heard Bane say something before she dropped her head and slipped into unconsciousness due to the sheer pain and trauma.

"I wonder which will break first, your spirit or your body?"

**Review!**


	22. Cookies Are a Serious Matter

**Cookies Are a Serious Matter!**

**A/N: So many reviews! :DDD You guys make me so proud! I wish I could reply but I'm seeing double over here (once more I have been unable to sleep)but I promise I'll reply for the next chapter! Enjoy my dears!  
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"Boss, he's awake," Grumpy informed the Joker as the clown turned to look at his goon. A smile stretched across his deformed lips as he pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning on. His neck cracked when he tilted his head in irritation, his hand reached into one of his pockets looking for his preferred knife.

The clown stopped in the hallway of the abandoned house they had brought Scarecrow to when he found the pocket empty. He sighed in annoyance when he recalled where he had left it; his squeeze currently had it in the back of her pocket. It wasn't much use to him there; he rolled his shoulders before he opened the door with a calm breath.

Scarecrow tilted his head upwards once he saw the trademark purple coat out of the corner of his eyes. His green eyes locked with the dark chocolate pair of the clown as he circled him with a predatory gaze.

"Why did you bother?" the masked man asked supporting his weight against the backrest of the chair. He tried to get feeling back into his hands despite the harsh rope that bound them together by clenching them and rolling his wrists.

The Joker scoffed at the other man's question before giving the goon that had been guarding Scarecrow a look that sent him away. As soon as the door shut behind the man the clown turned to look at the masked man once more.

"We both know it wasn't because I felt generous," the Joker replied taking another knife out of his pocket. The click that it made as he opened it pleased him but not as much as his favorite blade did. The Joker snarled to himself when his mind reminded him of where the knife was.

"Then what do you want form me?" Scarecrow hissed turning his head to look at the man who stood behind him. He too had found it rather odd to have been rescued out of the blue like that, there had to be something the other wanted in exchange for his life.

"It's simple really," the Joker answered twirling the blade in his hand getting a feel for it. His amused eyes followed the gleam that the sliver metal made under the dim lighting. Scarecrow merely tensed when he heard the wooden floors creak beneath the other man's weight when he moved away. The masked man flinched when he no longer heard anything.

"What is it, then?" Scarecrow demanded, "Guns, gasoline, explosives?" he asked as the other's laughter reached his ears. The disturbing tone danced around him mocking him as he tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, he had no success. Of course he didn't, the Joker was a master when it came to manipulating his voice.

Scarecrow snorted when he realized the latter, the clown had to be in control of everything. He shook his head and dropped it before he heard the shuffling of clothes behind him. The blade that the Joker had been carrying came into view when the clown walked in front of him and paused.

"I just wanna know how many cups of sugar I'm supposed to add to a cookie batter," the Joker informed him. Scarecrow's mouth dropped open upon hearing the words that had just left the clown's mouth. He had to be kidding; he had risked not only his life but that of his men…for advice on how to make cookie batter?

"Joker, you're not serious are you?" the masked man asked in pure shock looking up at the Joker. The clown merely smiled back before he tossed the knife up into the air and caught it with the blade end of it in his palm.

"I've killed three chefs so far…none of them were able to make good chocolate chip cookies, I've heard that you knew how to make em'," the clown confessed shaking his head in fake sorrow. Scarecrow shook his head in dismay, perhaps the Joker had hit his head too hard or someone had slipped some sort of drug into his coffee.

"You're supposed to add 3/4 of sugar," Scarecrow told the man in front of him. He had no idea why they were discussing cookie recepies when they were both supposed to be dangerous criminals. The Joker turned to look at him about to protest and point out that he knew that already before the other continued cutting him off. "And 3/4 of brown sugar."

"Ah, I was missing that!" the Joker exclaimed snapping his fingers with apparent glee. He moved forward and cut the ropes off of Scarecrow's wrists before he stepped back and opened the door for him. "You're free to go, you are no longer needed," the clown commented motioning towards the hallway. Scarecrow rose from his seat cautiously and walked over slowly towards the open door.

"You left her with Bane, for cookies?" the masked man asked pausing slightly before he left. "He could kill her, what would you do without your pawn, Joker?" he added rubbing the bruises the tight rope had left behind.

He failed to notice the clown's expression as it darkened considerably upon hearing him. His chocolate eyes acquired a deeper shade of brown while his smile turned into a sneer upon being reminded of the small price he had to pay for freeing the man before him.

Scarecrow hissed when he felt the clown's knife cut his arm open, he turned accusingly to look at him before he caught a glimpse of the madman. The ex-psychologist kept the insult that he had been about to throw at the clown to himself upon seeing the expression on the Joker's face.

His lips had dropped from the smile he had sported seconds ago while his eyes remained unfocused at the wall before him.

"My dogs might be gone, Crow," the Joker commented turning to look at the man in front of him. Before he knew it Scarecrow had the clown's knife pressed up against the side of his mask, he stared back with fear apparent in his eyes. He didn't want a pair of matching scars; he kept his mouth shut despite everything that ran through his mind. "But I'll still cut you up and feed you to the strays if you, uh, mention _her _again."

Scarecrow merely nodded and turned away before the blade sliced through the material of his mask. The clown laughed lightly upon seeing the other freeze when the knife rested above his exposed cheek. The Joker pressed it against his flesh, a sadistic smile returning to his lips when he noticed the other tense and look at him with horror.

"You try my patience," the clown whispered to the man, the smile on his lips stretching to its full capacity. The clown held back a hiss of pain when his scars ached in protest; he bit the inside of his cheek replacing one pain with another. Scarecrow merely stepped away carefully before rushing out of the room and heading for the back door.

The Joker walked out after him calmly before slamming his knife up against the wall and leaving it stuck to the wall. The blade cut through the material in his glove as he held it against his palm with a steel grip. The crimson droplets that trailed down the expensive purple leather didn't seem to faze him as he let go and called over one of his goons.

"Boss?" Happy asked standing before him submissively, the Joker handed him a piece of paper and walked away without another word leaving the bloodied knife on the wall still. He stopped halfway to the door before he turned to look at his goon once more. "Get it right or I'll use your blood to repaint the walls in this house."

With that the Joker turned and headed out of the door with three other goons behind him, he needed a new pair of Rottweilers and a plan to get back his squeeze. The door slammed shut after them while the remainder of the goons relaxed before they were dragged out once more on another escapade. Happy unfolded the piece of paper curiously and face palmed when he read what was on it.

"Hey, Grumpy?" the goon called as the other appeared in the hall beside him, "have you ever made cookies?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Monica woke with a start; the sharp pain that she registered on her right shoulder informed her that she hadn't been dreaming of the events that had happened. She cried lowly when her body shifted against the hook and a sharp pain tore through her.

"It's no use, honey," a guard commented turning to look at her when he heard her wake. Monica stared back weakly; she dropped her head in fear before her eyes landed on the puddle of blood at her feet. "You're not getting down from there any time soon."

She growled both in pain and in anger, she had had enough of people telling her what she could and couldn't do. Her arms rose stubbornly behind her and gripped the chain that held her up with pain etched into her face. A frustrated sigh escaped through her lips when she tried to raise her body up and off of the hook. She gave up after a few seconds, the hook dug into her once more causing her to moan in pain.

"Get Bane," one guard commented noticing how hell bent she was on getting down. They would need Bane if she were to get succeed; they had been given orders to call him if anything happened with her.

"No," another commented with fear evident in his voice, his hands gripped the gun in his hold tightly. Monica smirked at him despite the pain she was in before she managed a laugh at the man.

"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" she teased noticing the lever behind the man. An idea came to her when she followed the chain attached to it and noticed it was the same that was holding her in place. She had noticed he hadn't been the only one to react like that when Bane's name was mentioned, she had to give it to the man; he was feared by his own men as well.

"Shut up, bitch," the man warned her taking a step towards her. Monica had to hide the smile that threatened to betray her intentions, she held on to the chain above her in anticipation.

"Come now, why so serious?" she asked mockingly seeing the frown on the guard's face. She laughed at herself when she heard the comment slip out of her mouth, great, she was starting to sound like the Joker now.

"I said shut up!" the man shouted warningly taking another step towards her. Monica smirked when she noticed she had him where she wanted him. She pulled her leg back and managed to kick him away with a harsh blow to his chest. The guard flew back and dropped his gun before he landed on top of the lever and activated it.

The chain above her rattled before she was dropped onto the ground below, she cried when she reached back and removed the hook from her skin. Her hand tossed the bloodied tool aside before she was surrounded by the men that had been guarding her.

"You little slut, I'm going to-" the same man started before a commanding voice drowned out his own.

"Kill her?" Bane asked stepping out of the shadows. Monica stared at him from her position on the ground, she dropped her head unable to hold it up any longer feeling exhausted. He walked over to her form and stood beside her before turning to look at the same guard as before.

"You put me in charge, I thought I could call the shots," the guard replied stupidly, forgetting who he was talking to. Bane's brow quirked upwards upon hearing what the other man had just said, he turned away from the woman at his feet before he walked over to him.

"Do you feel in charge?" Bane asked gripping the man's shoulder harshly. The sound of breaking bones reached the ears of those around the pair before Bane pulled back and let the other drop down onto the ground in agony.

The masked man took his gun out form the back of his vest before aiming and pulling the trigger. The shot echoed through the warehouse as Monica stared up at him in fear. He had just killed one of his men for talking back, she clenched her jaw to remind herself to stay quiet whenever she was around him.

"A woman outsmarted you," Bane scolded looking at his men in obvious irritation before he reached down and pulled Monica up. She groaned in pain as her eyes locked with his own raging orbs. Her parted lips allowed short breaths to escape from her body before another wave of pain shot through her.

Bane noticed her body go limp in his hold, her head dropped forward onto his chest when she fell unconscious once more. He tossed her over his shoulder as he turned and started to walk back to his room. His men merely avoided his gaze and lowered their heads as he passed by, the woman in his hold had proven to be stronger than any of them when she pulled the hook out of her back herself.

He opened the door to the office he had claimed as his own before setting her down onto a small bed that was up against the wall. He turned her over so that she was lying face down before pulling out his knife and cutting through her shirt and bra with one swift move. His hand brushed aside the crimson piece of clothing that had been covering the gash on her back before he moved forward and started to treat it.

She had proved herself worthy of living, he had been watching her expecting her to give up any moment. Instead she had chosen the path less traveled by and freed herself from the hook he had placed her on. That gained her some respect form Bane and it was because of that and that alone that he was currently treating her wounds.

He had no intention of keeping her alive until then. She had proved to be strong enough to work for him, all she needed to do was to lure the Joker out for him and she would be free to go.

His attention was brought back to the young woman when she started to stir. Her eyes flew open and she instantly shot off of the bed when she failed to recognize where she was. She glanced down noticing the bandages that had been wrapped around her shoulder and chest before noticing her top half was only covered by the bandages. Even then they only covered the top of her body, her abdomen was completely exposed which made her shiver and look around.

Her shredded clothes had been discarded in the corner of the small room. Sudden movement from her right caught her attention as she turned and noticed Bane doing pushups a few feet away from her. The ease that he displayed when he dropped his body and pushed himself back up startled her, no doubt he was a force to be reckoned with when it came to fighting.

Monica rose and walked over to him calmly knowing how unstable the men she usually crossed paths with were. He didn't even stop to acknowledge her as she stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her bandaged chest.

"It is nothing that I have not seen before," his voice commented with irritation laced into every word. Monica found her face reddening when she realized he had probably been the one to treat her back along with the rest of the cuts on her. Her embarrassment only grew despite his words, a part of her was grateful that it had been him other than someone else. She simply couldn't act ungrateful despite the fact that he had been the one to hang her on the hook. He could have let her bleed out, her mind ran that through her several times to get the point across.

"Thank you," she forced out noticing his muscles ripple beneath the black shirt he had on. Bane made no motion to show that he had heard or cared. He needed her alive for now, it was the only thing that prevented him from snapping her neck.

Monica looked around realizing that she would be leaving any time soon, she wasn't stupid enough to attempt an escape either. The guards outside would probably catch her before she got too far, for now the only thing she could do was stay out of Bane's way and think of a plan.

'

Part of her wanted to think that the Joker would come back for her, she laughed at the idea. Of course he wasn't coming back for her, why would he? He had Scarecrow, that had been the main reason for the trip in the first place, she wasn't needed as far as she was concerned.

The thought of Alfred worrying over her made her frown before she closed her eyes. She was missing Bruce already as well, she wondered when the pair of men would realize she was gone. Would they even bother in looking for her?

Monica was brought back down to earth when she heard Bane's voice beside her, the controlled and dominating tone that it held sent a chill over her body. She wasn't dealing with Scarecrow or Joker, Bane was not to be messed with, she couldn't contradict him or deny anything that he asked of her if she wanted to stay alive.

"If you are going to stand there at least make yourself useful," the man beneath her snapped as she jumped slightly and started at him in a startled fashion. "Sit on my back," he ordered as she hesitated. A fleeting memory of her brother rose in her mind, he would sometimes ask the same thing whenever his exercise proved too light and he needed extra weight to carry.

Bane paused slightly and waited for the woman to snap out of her daze, she hesitantly obeyed and placed her hands on his shoulders before seating herself onto him carefully. He sighed realizing that she wasn't too heavy before he dropped down and resumed his pushups.

Monica dropped her jaw in admiration when she saw how easily he had resumed his exercise even with her added weight. Bane scared her, she feared for whoever crossed paths with him. A brief image of the Joker flashed through her mind reminding her of the predicament in which she was in. It was all because of him, she deserved to at least know where Bane stood when it came to the clown.

"What do you plan on doing about the Joker?" she asked before she could stop herself. Monica could feel the man beneath her tense before he stopped and pushed himself up once more. His masked face turned to look at her over his shoulder.

The reply that she got sent a chill down her spine and made her grip onto his shirt for some sort of comfort. Her lips dipped downward into a deep frown as she tried to hold back the tears that formed in her eyes. Even she couldn't explain why they were there in the first place; the Joker certainly didn't deserve them.

"When Gotham is ashes…he has my permission to die."

**Well, I wasn't too sure about this one. Let me know what you guys think, review!**


	23. Unforgivable

**Unforgivable**

**A/N: So many reviews! It makes me wanna update faster :D Anyway, before you guys go ahead and read this chapter I must warn you it is rather disturbing and dark, it also involves rape, I felt like giving you a heads up. Some of my readers prefer to be warned about situations like that before reading, so with that said, (I cant exactly say enjoy) read on my dears! **

**Sidenotes: **

**LivinJgrl123: Dont worry about it, personally I prefer the longer reviews. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of the cookie scene XD And I am glad that you like the story so far ;D And as far as Judas goes, perhaps Joker will find out or perhaps it will be Bruce. After this chapter though I doubt he'll be the least of their problems. **

**rcfranken: Sadly I am not dutch XD and Im glad you like it!**

**Random Person 94: He wants him dead, after all the two would clash often due to how similar they are with the whole anarchy and chaos thing -_- Gotham isnt big enough for both of them now is it? :D **

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Dont tell anyone, but...Im in love with Bane XD seriously -_- its kind of tragic really. ;D **

**TheCleverGirl: Ah, Im glad my writing is getting you to like Bane more :D and everyone needs chocolate chips cookies now and then...even the Joker XD As far as the progress, I'd like to say Im about halfway done with it. XD So read on my dear :D **

**LaurenvBelladonna: Im glad you caught that! She's changing slowly but surely and becoming a bit tougher ;D **

**Ravenclaw992: I always pictured him eating them for some reason o.o it worked out quite nicely once it was written so I decided to go with it XD**

**Zeny: Im honored to find out that I am able to change people's minds about Bane with my writing :DDD And yes, how many times must she save him before he gets the picture? XD **

**georgiagirl5: glad you caught that :D somehow it seems better to do things slowly than just throwing them together and gettign them to kiss in the first chapter XD**

"Honestly, I hope you torture the damn clown before he dies," Monica commented blankly against Bane's back. The man beneath her remained silent before pushing his body off of the stone floor beneath him with ease. Monica sighed as she felt him drop down once more, she had lost track of the pushups he had completed after 150.

"His death will not be quick," Bane's voice replied as she closed her eyes. The deep voice of the man against her sent a shiver down her back; she felt his body rumble beneath her when he spoke.

"Good, I'd kill him myself if I could," she replied bitterly cursing the man for leaving her amongst Bane and his men. Not that it had been entirely bad for her; at least she had gotten someone to talk to during the whole ordeal. She had found him rather interesting, she found herself wondering if she had gone mad upon finding a criminal like him slightly fascinating. Perhaps it was his mask or perhaps it was the raw power that he held at his disposal. She didn't know what it was and she was content with keeping it that way.

"It's done," one of Bane's men commented stepping into the room. The masked man paused mid pushup and turned to look at the one standing before him. Monica quickly got off of his back seconds before Bane rose to his full height without warning. She had learned to act fast whenever she was around him; several crashes onto the floor had taught her that.

"Good," Bane replied moving towards the door. He glanced back at Monica slightly; she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I'm not going to attempt an escape," she commented dully before he or the man beside him could say anything. She had given up after getting caught for the third time that week, escape seemed impossible. Bane turned away from her and slammed the door shut behind him seconds before a pair of guards were posted beside the door. She wondered where he was off to this time; he often left for hours at a time.

Monica turned with a disappointed sigh directed at herself before sitting down on his bed crossing her legs in the process. Her head dropped back against the cold wall behind her, her eyelids suddenly becoming heavy despite her urge to fight the feeling of sleep way.

Before she knew it she had fallen into a deep dreamless sleep, her head resting against the surface of the wall where the bed had been pressed up against. Her body was beginning to enjoy the rarity of her nap before a sharp hit on the door reached her ears.

Her head shot up and her eyes flew open before they drifted over to the steel door, fear apparent in her eyes. A dull thud reached her ears before a small trickle of blood crept its way under the door through the small space between it and the floor.

She stood abruptly and pressed her body up against the wall behind her in a desperate attempt to compose herself. Monica resisted the urge to laugh at herself when she found her mind screaming for Bane's presence. She shot the thought down as soon as it came; she was forgetting that he was a criminal as well who wouldn't hesitate to kill her as soon as she became dispensable.

Sudden shuffling could be heard outside before the door burst open and several men rushed in with guns lowered. Monica stared at them with relief once she noticed they were Bane's men, the last to enter turned and slammed the door behind him before locking it. The small group took backward steps and surrounded her form in a desperate attempt to protect her. If she died there would be hell to pay when Bane came back.

Banging reached their ears as they all waited with held breaths for the door to give in, it was only a matter of time. Monica shook her head before sliding down the wall weakly, she wasn't cut out for these types of situations, her eyes fixed on the door a few feet away.

Bullets showered down on the group around her when the metal door fell in and several other hired guns rushed in. She watched in utter horror as body after body dropped dead at her feet, the last to fall managed to stain her face with quick splatter of blood from his chest.

Monica stared at the three men that remained standing in the room before her shaking hands reached for a gun that had landed at her feet. She rose it up and pointed it at them warningly, two of them laughed the third merely walked forward clearly testing her.

She found herself pressing down on the trigger when he approached, she didn't want to get captured again. Hell, she hadn't even managed to get free of her current captor and others had already come for her?

Much to her horror the gun in her hand clicked, clearly out of bullets. The man that had been walking towards her paused when he heard the gun and sneered at her before kicking it out of her hands. Monica whimpered in pain when his boot connected with her hands before the black Beretta flew out of them.

"Who is she?" a man from the doorway called as he passed by pausing to catch his breath. The three that had been in the room stared down at Monica with thoughtful expressions.

"Bane's plaything, no doubt," one of the men commented when he looked around and noticed the lack of furniture in the room except for the small bed. The other two nodded in agreement before the one that had been standing near the doorway smiled.

"We're still looking for Bane, have your fun with her," the man commented, his smile stretching to its full capacity as Monica shook her head pathetically upon understanding the meaning. "Make sure he gets the message, don't kill her when you're done, leave her there for him in case we don't find him."

Monica watched as the man turned and disappeared from the doorway, her eyes soon shot over to the man who had been standing closest to her when she was pulled up harshly. The steel grip on her arms made her wince before he pressed her up against the wall behind her, his hands running up and down her body while she tried to shove him away.

"Ah, you're not going anywhere, sweetheart," he whispered into her ear digging his nails into her waist. Monica cried out against him in evident pain before his hand slipped beneath her shirt and roamed up her bare back. He raked his hand down her skin harshly making her whine in pain and arch her body away from the wall and into him involuntarily.

She continued to struggle madly when he held her in place and crashed his lips down onto hers. Monica felt hot tears stream down her face at the sudden realization of what was about happen. The man bit down on her lip and drew blood before licking it away and shoving her towards the bed.

She quickly got up and made a dash towards the door before the two who had been watching stopped her. The pair of arms around her waist pulled her away from the door despite the death grip she held on the threshold, her legs kicked wildly when he rose her and carried her over to the bed once more.

"No!" she screamed both in fear and in anger, she didn't know which overpowered the other. Her body was hurled against the bed once more. Monica made an attempt to get off of it before the weight of the third man pinned her down onto it. She struggled against him and did everything in her power to keep him away from her; she scratched, punched, and bit to no avail.

"You're his bitch, alright," the man hissed against her attempting to hold her in place. Monica spat at him when he paused. Her resistance alone was enough to convince them of her loyalty to Bane, the man they had been hired to capture and bring in for their boss. "Hold her down!" he ordered when she managed to deliver a blow to the side of his face.

Monica struggled against them when she felt one of the two who had been watching seize her arms and pull them up over her head. She resorted to bucking and trying to kick the man off when she could no longer use her hands.

"I know you're going to enjoy this, you're his whore after all," the man snarled into her ear licking her jawline as Monica shuddered and snapped her head away from him. "I'm gonna try to enjoy it…even more."

"Fuck you, I belong to no one!" she barked turning when he dropped his guard. She bit down onto his shoulder making the man cry out in pain before pulling away. He brushed a hand over the bite mark before pulling it back and seeing the blood on it. He backhanded the woman beneath him in rage, she had made him bleed.

"You're gonna be mine this night, slut," the man replied forcing her legs apart. Monica tried her hardest to free herself; she could feel more tears stream down her face. She was so hopeless, so weak, so pathetic. If she were stronger this wouldn't be happening, she wouldn't need to depend on anyone to come and rescue her.

She heard the man fumble with his belt while the other two watched with sick pleasure, this wasn't happening. She shook her head in denial weakly, this couldn't be happening to her. She prayed that someone would show up and stop them, anyone really. Bane, Scarecrow, Batman, hell she would even settle for Joker if it meant stopping the inevitable.

The room remained silent except for her desperate cries when the man took out his knife and sliced through her clothing nicking her in the process. Her fear returned full force when her naked body was exposed to them; there was nothing to save her from the knife that was dragged down the side of her waist gently.

She winced and twisted away from it when she felt her blood run over her skin from the wound. The man dipped his head down and licked t away with a sadistic smile on his face, Monica closed her eyes in disgust and remained silent. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of screaming, she bit the inside of her cheek to make sure she kept quiet.

"You're a pretty little whore, aren't you?" the man asked teasingly as Monica turned her head to the side uttering a silent cry. Her eyes remained closed in shame before he took her, she couldn't stop the scream that escaped through her lips upon being entered with such force.

Monica felt a part of her die every time they switched, enjoying themselves. They took their time and made sure she was in pain during the whole ordeal by ravaging her body again and again. Her silent tears fell onto the bed sheets beneath her, the life gone from her eyes as she refused to look at them.

A deep hatred grew within her at the men violating her; she regained her energy and struggled against the man who was currently ramming his body into her own. She gained nothing but another hit to the side of her face for her defiance, even then she continued to fight them.

"You're too good…too tight to be a whore," the man moaned into her ear as she resisted the urge to gag. She turned her tear streaked face to look at his own, the bruises and cuts on her once pale skin left behind bloodied droplets of crimson. Her eyes landed on the tattooed Swastika on his neck before she turned her attention to the other two. They too held a tattoo that she could recognize; she kept them in her memory for later.

"I am not a whore," Monica choked unable to speak after everything they had done to her. She rose her head and captured the man's lips with her own before she bit down onto his bottom lip with force. The crimson taste of his blood filled her mouth, she didn't let go despite the backhand that she got from the man who had been standing over her. On the contrary, she bit down harder and reveled in the groan of pain that she got from the man above her.

He pulled away from her and slammed into her one last time before pulling out and stepping away from her. Monica sighed in utter relief at the feeling despite the numbness that she had acquired hours before.

"You were a good fuck, my dear," one of the men told her laughing as he fixed his belt and reached for her. Monica cried out when he hurled her onto the unforgiving ground beneath her, her body refusing to move despite her commands. "But I'm afraid our time together has come to a close."

Monica choked desperately trying to get air back into her lungs after the blow she had just taken before a kick to her stomach made her cry out in pain. She coughed up blood after another blow before a brutal strike to her face shattered her nose. The crack that reached her ears as it broke was the only thing that alerted her of the condition of her body, followed by the steady flow of blood that rushed down and stained her lips.

She could faintly hear her ribs being broken while they continued to beat her, her eyes remained half lidded making her wonder if she was still alive. She no longer registered any pain, every inch of her body numb.

The trio of men stepped back after they had relieved themselves before walking towards the door wiping their bloody knuckles over their shirts and jackets. They exited without a backwards glance at the woman who lay broken on the floor.

Monica reached towards the door with one bloodied hand before it dropped uselessly beside her, it was no use, she was too weak to even stand. Time seemed to slow down for her as she closed her eyes and tried to rid herself of the images that flashed before them.

She barely managed to register a blanket being thrown hastily over her before she was picked up by a pair of strong arms. Her head turned towards the man who held her, her blurred vision preventing her from recognizing him.

"P-please…just kill me," she begged, dropping her head against a Kevlar plated chest. The black outfit and cowl were completely dismissed by her. She didn't care who he was, she just wanted to feel relief.

Batman stared down at her with utter bewilderment and rage, how dare they lay a hand on her? He turned sharply with Monica in his hold before walking out of the room missing the shifting body amongst the sea of dead men.

The dark knight scolded himself thoroughly as he rushed over to the Tumbler he had parked outside. Perhaps is he had arrived sooner this wouldn't have happened; he would have been able to save her from her fate.

He pushed the other feelings that rose along with seeing her violated form against him as he drove hastily towards the mansion once more.

What they had done to her was unforgivable, he would make sure they regretted every laying a hand on her.

For now, all he could do was wait and hope.

Hope that she did not lose the light in her eyes that taken his breath away time and time again.

Hope that she was still the same when she woke.

Hope that she would forgive him…for not arriving sooner.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Bane walked into his room calmly surveying his surroundings with calculative chocolate orbs. He registered the smeared blood on the walls and bed before his attention was brought back down towards the bodies of dead men at his feet.

He crouched in front of one of the figures noticing the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"They took her," the man whispered to his boss as Bane resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the man. He had noticed that, it had been obvious the moment he walked in. "They raped her, sir….they took her again and again despite her struggle."

That caught his attention.

His blazing eyes turned on the man before his hands shot out and gripped him by the collar of his shirt. He hauled the man up disregarding his wounds before shaking him with fury.

"Who?" Bane snarled dropping his voice, that was something he wouldn't stand for. He couldn't explain the feeling that burned within him the moment he had been informed of the latest development, men like that didn't deserve to walk around free without a worry in the world.

"I don't know sir," the man replied before Bane let him go with apparent displeasure.

He walked towards the door once more where his remaining men stood waiting for orders.

"Where are we going, sir?" one of them asked noticing Bane draw his pistols from behind his back. He checked them before turning to look at his men, he didn't care how long it took he would find the men who had laid hands on her in that manner. He hadn't spent the last week hiding her away for nothing; they would pay dearly for altering his plan.

He shook his head before answering.

"Gotham must be cleansed of its filth."

**Review!**


	24. Heal Me

_**Heal Me**_

_**A/N: Here's another chapter my dears! The reviews keep coming in which make me so excited and eager to write...we reached the 200th mark! :D I love you all!**_

_**Random Person 94: Bane or the Joker? Hmmm it's such a hard choice! XD Bane's got the muscles and Joker's got the looks, I would choose both :D **_

_**Erik-is-my-angel1234 : I dont know it its his mask or his muscles XD I just love Bane despite other people hating on him :D**_

_**LaurenvBelladonna : I agree, it's events like those that make people stronger! Whatever dosent kill you simply makes you...stranger! Uh, I, uh...I mean stronger XD I couldnt help but quote our beloved clown prince of crime XD Anyway, enjoy!**_

_**Zeny:They'll pay alright, it'll just take a while for them to appear once more. :D**_

_**TheCleverGirl: Yes! I got another person to like Bane! :DDDD Anyway, Im glad that you like my OC, :D **_

_**Cheekymonkey97: Here's the new chapter, do not fear! XD**_

_**allthelovers: Dont worry, Bane will find them, its just a matter of time ;D**_

_**Jokerlover: Yes he is :D Joker is just delish! XD **_

_**LivinJgrl123: Well here it is, I couldnt stand to make you guys wait too long. I hope you like it despite the previous chapter. A lot of people found it disturbing as well, then again who wouldnt o.O**_

Bruce paced outside of the room nervously, Alfred on the other hand stood next to the door while they both waited for the doctor to emerge. The smell of wet dirt that came from outside did little to ease Bruce's nerves, the lightning that flashed across the sky seemed to put him on edge.

"Master Wayne, this is not your fault," Alfred told the billionaire as he continued to pace endlessly. His brow furrowed when he heard what his butler had just told him. Of course it was his fault; he hadn't been there for her when she needed him the most.

Bruce frowned, she reminded him of Rachel, he had failed to protect her when she had been defenseless. The playboy closed his eyes and rammed his hand into a nearby wall making Alfred shake his head in disapproval.

"I failed her, Alfred," Bruce hissed before the butler placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, you saved her," Alfred replied although he knew the other man would refuse to believe him. "They could have come back; you got her out just in time."

The door to her room opened before any of them could say anything else. Bruce turned to look at the doctor as he stepped out with a grim expression. Both of the men that had been waiting outside looked at him intently waiting for him to speak.

"She will be fine," the doctor informed them, "the bruises and cuts will fade with time, I have fixed her fractured nose and her ribs will heal in a couple of months." Bruce stared at him intently knowing there was more to it than that. "The trauma of the event, however, can only be overcome with time, it varies from person to person," the man added making Alfred shake his head.

The butler had quite literally gaged the moment he had found out what had been done to her. Bruce nodded blankly looking over the doctor's shoulders at the unconscious woman on his bed.

"I do not recommend being in the room when she wakes," the man added catching Bruce's attention. He turned to look at the doctor once more as Alfred stared at him demanding an explanation as well. The doctor sighed and looked around the dimly lit hallway in which he found himself. The expensive paintings and chandelier did little to ease his mind; he turned to the pair of men who looked like they were ready to jump him for taking so long.

"I do not think she will trust you," the doctor stated simply as Bruce turned to look at Alfred in surprise. Why wouldn't she trust them? The butler merely shook his head at the billionaire, of course she wouldn't.

"Why not?" Bruce demanded looking over the man's shoulder once more when he noticed Monica shift. She curled up into a ball and hugged one of his pillows to her chest, a pang of guilt assaulted him when he noticed how beat up she truly was.

"Think of what she has been through, Mr. Wayne," the doctor told him tapping the side of his temple for emphasis. Bruce nearly face palmed when her realized what the other man meant, it made sense now.

"What do you suggest we do?" Alfred asked closing the door behind the man letting Monica rest for now; she had been through enough already. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake and hear them talking about what had happened to her and remind her of the event.

"Get your most trusted maid to assist her, she will not take kindly to men from now on," the doctor told them picking up his medical case from the floor next to him. He tipped his hat at the pair of men in front of him before Alfred escorted him to the door.

Bruce remained outside of his room leaning on the door with a frown on his lips. He hadn't been expecting any of this to happen. What would he tell her brother?

The playboy shook his head before pushing himself off of the door and heading downstairs for a cup of coffee. He sat on the couch while Alfred put the cup of coffee on the table in front of him. The billionaire found himself sleeping on the couch for the first time in over ten years, his mind running wild with his own troubled thoughts.

He would get back at the man who had done that to her, he didn't care what it took. He would find him and make him pay for every little cut and bruise on her body. Bruce would make sure to return the hits and broken bones that he had given to Monica.

Sleep did little to appease him, even his dreams were filled with the images of her broken form on the ground where he had found her. His blood had seethed when he had picked her up, her dull eyes staring into his raging pair. He would never allow another man to lay a hand on her, he could promise her that much. He had failed her before; he wouldn't allow it to happen once more.

A week passed with Bruce catching glimpses of Monica whenever she left her room, he restrained from talking to her. Bruce knew she would acknowledge him when she was ready, he didn't want to rush her. She hadn't made the effort to look at him or Alfred and most of the time she even avoided the maids that brought her food and other supplies.

Bruce had to admit he was starting to miss who she had been before; he would have given anything to have seen her dancing in his parlor once more. A voice in the back of his head reminded him that he would probably never get to see her like that again, not after what had happened.

Whenever he did see her it was usually with her head down and her arms wrapped around her small frame. Alfred went out of his way to avoid her whenever he was cleaning the house for fear of upsetting her; even the maids had started to get the picture. Something was clearly wrong with her and she wished to be alone, not surrounded by their endless gossip.

Bruce scolded himself when he noticed he had landed in the same hall as her one day, he turned ready to head in the other direction before her small hand had grasped his own.

He turned with bewilderment apparent in his eyes; she stared down still not meeting his eyes.

"Could we go outside?" she asked quietly, her voice had been so soft that Bruce wondered if he had heard correctly. She hesitantly let go of his hand and stepped back still not looking at him, Bruce tilted his head; he saw no wrong in granting her request. "I just need some air," she explained sinking further into the black hoodie she had on.

Bruce had to stop himself from reaching up and cupping her cheek, she looked so vulnerable in that brief moment that it made his heart ache. He just wanted to comfort her, tell her everything would be alright. He nodded his head instead and motioned for her to follow, he kept himself as far away from her as he possibly could not wishing to upset her.

Monica followed him with quiet steps, her doubtful eyes on the ground still. The slight limp that she still had made Bruce grit his teeth in anger, he cleared his thoughts of it before she noticed his change in mood and changed her mind.

She knew he meant no harm but after her ordeal it was hard for her to trust anyone. Monica found that she scolded herself more often every time she saw Alfred's disappointed look whenever she refused to talk to him. She was being and ungrateful brat, she knew that, she had no right to treat the men who had welcomed her to their home like that.

The shame of what had happened had also caused her to avoid looking at Bruce. She didn't feel worthy of even being in the same room as him or the rest of the household, the room which she stayed in had become her sole comfort. At least she was alone there, she didn't have to bother anyone with her presence, God knew she didn't deserve anyone's company now.

The mere thought of seeing anyone had also been pushed aside; she didn't want them to see what had become of her. She didn't want to see Joker, Scarecrow, or Bane. Her tattoo parlor had been left in the hands of her most trusted men; it allowed her to have one less thing to worry about.

Her brother had also called during the week; she had thanked Alfred for failing to inform him of her recent run in with Bane and what had happened afterwards. The world around her wasn't aware of her plight and she couldn't have been more joyed about it. She didn't want anyone's pity, not when she had brought upon her own decadence. Deep down her mind kept telling her that it had all been her fault; it kept whispering that she hadn't been strong enough, that she hadn't fought more.

How could she?

Even after several days had passed the nightmares and flashbacks refused to leave her. She often woke in the middle of the night drenched in sweat fearing that the men were in the room with her. After several minutes she managed to calm herself down enough to slip back into slumber only to repeat the whole process again.

The lack of rest had taken its toll on her; she had lost weight and found herself stumbling around hopelessly more often. With her balance thrown off she resorted to staying in bed getting up to shower and stretch only. She was grateful for the view she had from her large window, it was the only thing that kept her sane during the long days.

"Where would you like to go?" Bruce asked entering the garage, snapping Monica out of her thoughts. She glanced around unsure of herself, the billionaire stepped towards her wishing to merely hold her and reassure her. He stopped himself before he could take a second step, he wouldn't be the cause of her unease.

"Anywhere," she replied softly. Bruce nodded back before he walked over to his black Lamborghini Gallardo. Monica couldn't help but sigh in relief once she saw it was convertible; she stepped towards it hesitantly when Bruce held the door for her.

A small frown reached her lips as she sat down and he closed the door behind her. She didn't deserve to be treated like that; her mind promptly resumed its scolding for allowing Bruce to pamper her like that.

Her thoughts were cut short when they left the mansion and fresh air hit her straight on. She inhaled deeply enjoying the feel of it against her skin while her hair was whipped back.

Bruce looked at her out of the corner of his eyes; he could have sworn he saw a spark of her old self for a brief moment. He smiled to himself before turning his attention back onto the road. Monica looked at him smiling slightly for the first time in over two weeks.

He pulled up on the first parking spot that he came across and started to walk over to open her door before he realized she had already gotten out. She closed the door gently before walking over to him; she pulled down the sleeves to her sweater to hide the nasty bruises that were on her arms.

Bruce nodded to her slightly before they walked side by side together through the crowded streets of Gotham. The large mass of people around them soon disappeared once it started to rain. The rumble of thunder made everyone dash towards the nearest store, cafe, and restaurant in order to keep themselves dry.

The playboy turned to see if Monica wanted to go inside as well before he found her missing from his side. He looked around slightly panicked when he didn't see her right away, he sighed in relief once her found her walking ahead.

Monica looked up at the sky as the first of the rain drops descended from the dark clouds above her. In mere moments she was completely drenched, she didn't care. The feel of the rain around her brought a smile to her lips; she missed the smell of it.

Bruce stood a few feet away from her and while he wasn't too thrilled to be soaking wet he couldn't find it in himself to complain, not when she was enjoying it.

The weight of what had happened decreased slightly allowing her to breathe for the first time, she felt at peace with herself. Bruce noticed several other people come out of the shops once they saw Monica out in the rain. The people who had detested the thought of getting wet were now stepping out onto it to forget about life for a while.

In mere moments the streets were filled with laughing couples, overjoyed teenagers, and business men and women. Bruce walked over to Monica enjoying the lack of paparazzi around him for once; he thanked the rain for it.

"This is a first," Bruce told her looking around seeing people enjoy themselves briefly for a few moments in the usually chaotic city. It seemed surreal to him in the streets that were usually filled with passing cop cars during chases.

"There's a first for everything, Bruce," Monica replied closing her eyes memorizing the feel of the raindrops that fell on her. The playboy looked at her with a dumbfounded look on his face; he had never known anyone like her.

She seemed so real to him. He was used to the fake smiles that surrounded him when he was with other women; he had almost forgotten what it felt like to share a conversation that didn't involve politics or money. Monica had managed to remind him of what he had overlooked before; she had made him enjoy the little things in life.

The streets at night seemed to bring her old self back, he resisted the urge to pull her to him and kiss her right then and there. The way her clothes clung to her small body seemed to reignite the fire that had been missing within him for so long. He restrained merely because he didn't know how she would react to his advance, surely she would push him away and refuse to look at him again.

He couldn't risk her rejection, not when she had made her way into his life, he couldn't lose her like Rachel. Monica turned to look at him once more, her brown eyes locking with his own pair of blue.

"I think we should go," she whispered to him gaining some courage and actually managing to hold his gaze. "Can I wait here until you get the car?" she asked him. Before Bruce had even realized it he had already nodded to her. He sighed when he turned away to retrieve the car, he couldn't bring himself to deny her anything.

Monica stared after him with hope in her eyes, perhaps everything wasn't lost. Perhaps he could see through all of her mistakes. Her thoughts were cut short when she felt someone grab her arm and pull her into the alley she had been close to.

The scream that escaped her was quickly muffled by a purple gloved hand. Her horrified eyes met with his amused pair, his laughter reached her ears and unlike other times she couldn't find it in herself to smile along with him. His makeup face stared back at her, the rain had washed part of it away, even then she didn't feel any interest in him. Her mind reminded her that he had been the cause of everything that had happened to her.

"Missed me, doll?" he asked looking at her with amusement. Monica shook her head once she felt him pin her to the wall behind her. Her mind instantly recalled the man doing the same to her seconds before they had taken advantage of her.

She shook her head desperately trying to get away from him. The Joker's brow furrowed upon noticing her sudden change towards him, she seemed different somehow. Her silence was unnerving; he didn't like it when his questions went unanswered. He wanted to snap her neck then and there for refusing to reply to him.

"Did Bane get to ya', beautiful?" he asked once more regaining his humor. Monica's eyes widened considerably. So he had been right, her predicament had something to do with the week she had spent with Bane.

"Why aren't you smiling?" he asked rather hurt that she was shaking in his hold. He wanted her to fear him, everyone did, but he also wanted her to smile, to laugh at the very least. The Joker narrowed his eyes once he noticed how she flinched when he held onto her arm.

He pulled her sleeve up and tugged her forearm upwards to get a good look at the bruised skin in his hold. His other hand rested on her waist to hold her in place and prevent her from running away while he used his body to pin her to the wall.

Monica panicked upon feeling him so close. She could feel herself breath rapidly in fear upon having one of his legs between her own to hold her in place when his other hand left her waist to examine her neck.

The small amount of control that she had over herself disappeared as soon as she felt him step closer, their bodies pressed together. Memories of the night she had been violated resurfaced, she couldn't stop herself from flinching away from his touch when it reminded her so much of the men that had forced themselves onto her.

"Don't touch me!" she cried suddenly completely catching him by surprise as she shoved him away. The Joker stumbled back in shock surprised at her backlash; Bane had done something to her. The clown stared at her in complete bewilderment as she wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head in fear at him.

She backed away slowly from him; he couldn't understand what he had done to earn such a reaction from her. It wasn't anything new, he usually handled her quite roughly, she should have been used to it by now.

Monica turned away unable to stay there any longer, the small amount of relief that she had felt before completely gone. The Joker stared after her, his smile dropped upon seeing the cut on her waist that had been revealed to him due to her disheveled clothes.

He didn't go after her; instead he pulled out a phone from the inside of his pocket and dialed a number. The familiar roar of the Lamborghini from the streets caused him to sneer in the direction it had come from. He hadn't realized Bruce was with her, it didn't bother him either way. She was a good liar; she would cover for him if the playboy asked her anything.

"You called boss?" Grumpy's voice came over the speaker. The Joker found it in himself to smile after her recalled the woman he had killed in the morning; it eased his thoughts for a brief moment.

"You better have something on Bane, my squeeze seemed rather, uh, strange," he replied back dragging the last word out with a light chuckle amused at himself. A long pause followed after he replied, the clown wondered if his goon had even heard him.

"Uh, boss…you don't know?" the man asked causing the Joker to purse his lips slightly before he stretched them back into a smile.

"Shoot," the clown replied wanting to know what was bothering his goon. It was rather strange that he didn't know, he was usually aware of everything that happened around him.

"She was..." Grumpy started trying to figure out how to tell his boss the truth that he had obtained minutes ago after killing one of Bane's men.

"I haven't killed anyone in the past hour, you're gonna be next if ya don't tell," the Joker told his goon sweetly running his tongue over his bottom lip out of habit. He heard another long pause followed by whispers. He was going to kill his goons when he got back to the hideout for taking so long in telling him, it couldn't be that bad, could it?

"She was raped, boss," Grumpy told him after a long sigh. The Joker held the phone in his shaking hand for a brief moment before the screen shattered due to the pressure he was applying.

Grumpy flinched when he heard the phone crash against something. The goon stared down at the phone in his own hand when the call was ended and the screen went black. He sighed knowing the clown hadn't taken the news well. The fact that he had thrown his phone backed his theory up.

Grumpy sighed and shook his head praying for Gotham and the people in it. With Joker loose on the streets no one was safe, especially after he had just informed him of the latest development.

"Blood is going to be spilt tonight."

**Review!**


	25. Christmas with Bruce

**Christmas with Bruce**

**A/N: Well this is more of a filler chappie :D I realized how long I had waited to update D: So I sat myself down and shut the door to my room and wrote this with the sound of rain outside which certainly helped. Hope you guys enjoy, the next one will feature the Joker for those of you who have been wanting to read more chapters with him :D Enjoy!**

**Vento: Cookies...a lot of cookies and coffee, that's the secret to writing this story :D**

**Random Person 94: He knows it was someone else. And yes...their confrontation shall be epic. XD **

**Kitkat: Thank you! I really try to keep everyone in character :D **

**SuperheroAnimeGeek: (runs to the airport with you) I couldnt agree more, I would hate to live in Gotham with the Joker loose XD **

**Zeny: They'll get what they deserve, dont worry ;D **

**TheCleverGirl: Yes...MonicaxJoker will live on! XD You'll get to see a bit of that in the next chapter :D**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: It's official, I'm a Bane lover XD and thank you for reviewing!**

**Jokerlover: He does have that weird way of showing he cares doesn't he? :D**

**allthelovers: Trust me, I would HATE to be those three with Bruce, Bane, and the Joker after them at the same time. XD **

**LivinJgrl123: Sorry for the wait! Dont worry, those three will certainly pay for what they did to her, one way or another, they'll pay. :D**

**The Mourning Dragon: Indeed, it does. XD**

**Ravenclaw992: Several people, actually :D Thanks for reviewing!  
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** : Well it wasnt as quick as I wanted to update but here it is!**

**Blood Alchemist23: Why, thank you. :D **

**lynnieloo25: Im honored to have someone look forward to my updates :D It makes me feel like someone out there actually likes this story XD **

**LaurenvBelladonna: I suppose it will get rather ugly when the time comes and she has to choose, because lets be honest: Joker is rather unpredicatable and dangerous with his pair of matching scars and garish makeup with a rather interesting personality. Bruce/Batman has the looks and the money. He's the safer choice out of the two and certainly the more stable one XD They're completely different! Ah, the horror of choosing! :D**

Alfred watched as Monica's hand danced across the paper from her sketchbook. Her brow was furrowed in concentration; the butler wondered where her sudden urge to draw had come from. He placed the cup of coffee next to her after receiving a hushed thank you from her.

Monica stared down at the portrait she was currently working on; she closed her eyes trying to remember what the man looked like. She felt her heart sink upon remembering that night; she knew it was something she had to do, however. Her mind wouldn't let her rest until she knew those bastards had been caught. She certainly didn't want any other woman to suffer what she had gone through, it was the only thing that drove her to finish.

"I don't believe I have ever seen you draw, Miss Van Buren," Alfred's voice commented from behind. Monica turned her head to look at him slightly, pausing from the drawing in front of her.

"It's been a while, Alfred," she replied grabbing the eraser beside her. She carefully brushed it over the man's eyes. Darker, her mind kept telling her they had been a shade darker. She replaced her pencil with another that had been resting on a nearby table and used it to fill in the white space she had left behind.

"I must admit it is a rather disturbing image," the butler continued noticing the Swastika on the man's neck. He noted the careful attention to detail that Monica was applying to everything. Her periodic pauses made Alfred wonder is she was trying to recall what the man looked like.

"It's for a client," Monica lied, not wishing to alarm the butler. She wasn't about to go and tell him it was one of the men who raped her. "I get strange requests now and then."

Alfred nodded in understanding before checking the clock behind him. He didn't know why Bruce was taking so long in returning from the city.

Especially on a day like this.

Monica closed her eyes once more trying to block out everything around her. She forced herself to remember, she had to if she wanted to end her suffering. The nightmares that kept her up at night had to be put to a stop. Her body had already started to lose more weight, she simply couldn't keep anything down when the same memories from before replayed in her mind. The dark circles beneath her eyes disturbed her; she hated herself for neglecting her sleep that severely.

She yawned silently and opened her eyes when she recalled the small detail she had been trying to remember. She paused after she had applied it and held her sketchbook out in front of her. It was perfect.

No.

Monica corrected herself immediately. It was far from perfect, the only feelings the portrait evoked from her were utter sickness and disgust. She snapped the cover of it shut and placed it on the table before her.

After a month she had finally finished.

She had managed to draw up the three men despite all of the trips she had done to the bathroom whenever she felt the need to throw up. It had taken its toll on her; she was merely content with having finished such an exhausting task.

Alfred turned to look at her when he noticed her rise from the leather sofa she had been resting on. He had to stop himself from smiling when he looked at the fur that draped over her shoulders and came down between her arms.

"Master Bruce informed me the other day that you remind him of royalty whenever you walk around dressed like that," the butler informed Monica after she gave him a questioning glace. She had to resist the urge to snort at the comment, royalty?

She was far from royalty.

"Alfred, I am rather petty when compared to Bruce, I cannot fathom what he was thinking when he thought of that particular resemblance," Monica laughed lightly taking a seat at the kitchen counter to converse more easily with the butler. He turned to look at her before his brow quirked upwards.

"You do not need riches to be considered royalty, Miss Van Buren," Alfred commented turning towards the door when he heard it open. The harsh winter air that howled outside was heard briefly by the pair at the kitchen before the door closed.

"Master Wayne, I was beginning to worry," Alfred told the man who entered the kitchen in a rush. Monica turned to look at the billionaire who was trying to shake the snow out of his hair with one hand while he balanced a package on the other.

"I'll be down shortly," Bruce replied in a rush disappearing from the room rapidly. Monica turned to look at Alfred with a worried expression.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked with concern trying to recall if she had said anything to upset Bruce. He hadn't even looked at her when he came in, he merely spoke to Alfred and left.

"I can assure you, Miss Van Buren," Alfred started, "that had nothing to do with you." Monica uttered a sigh of relief upon hearing the butler. For once she wasn't to blame for something that had gone wrong.

Before she could further ponder on the matter Bruce reappeared dressed in yet another expensive suit. Monica turned away from him missing the small box in his hands. Alfred smiled unable to stop himself from giving the surprise away.

Bruce reached over Monica's form and placed the black box in front of her. She turned to look at him with surprise upon receiving something from the billionaire. A red ribbon had been hastily wrapped around the top of it which caught Monica's curiosity.

"Why?" she asked still confused as Bruce's expression turned into one of shock. He looked at Alfred with confusion; the butler merely nodded back knowing something like that was bound to happen.

"It's Christmas eve," Bruce replied unsure of whether Monica knew, "I won't be here for the most part of the night, I thought I would give you this before I left."

Monica jumped back in horror when the box shifted and a whine reached her ears. She shot out of her seat in fear and poked the side of it cautiously with a pencil. Bruce had to stop himself from laughing at the expressions she was making.

"What is that?" Monica asked slightly worried poking it again. This time the box moved even more from side to side as if something where in it. More whines followed after she poked it for the final time with her finger.

"It won't open itself," Bruce commented eager to see her reaction. The one he had gotten when she saw the box move had already been priceless. Monica moved forward cautiously and unlaced the ribbon letting it fall to the side.

Her shaking hands opened the box hesitantly. Before she even had a chance to look inside of it something small and furry bounded out of the box with an excited yip. She was completely shocked at the small bundle that jumped into her arms.

Bruce stared at her trying to figure out if she liked her gift. The satisfaction that he got when he noticed her smile made the trouble of getting the animal in her hands worth it.

"Bruce, it's perfect!" Monica exclaimed cuddling with the black pitbull puppy in her arms. The playboy's breath caught in his throat for a brief minute when he noticed the familiar spark in her eyes return. For once they didn't hold sorrow or regret, only utter joy and amusement.

He preferred to see her happy, to see the woman he had known before the incident with Bane. The pain of having to search for the perfect puppy was certainly worth going through when it brought her laughter back. He was capable of buying her an entire litter of them if it meant keeping her smile and her elated spirit.

"Thank you!" she told him as tears of happiness escaped from her eyes. She moved forward and hugged Bruce without even thinking. The playboy tensed upon feeling her so close, he certainly hadn't been prepared for it. He hadn't expected her to want any contact with another man after what had happened weeks ago.

Despite everything he found himself wrapping his arms around her small frame. He held her close needing to feel her against him. The small puppy in between them, however, prevented him from it. Monica pulled away and kissed his cheek before cupping his cheek in her free hand. Bruce was rather surprised upon feeling her touch, he wasn't about to complain either.

"You listened, you didn't have to, but you listened," she told him unable to control her emotions. The fact that he still remembered her request stunned her. She had thought he would have forgotten by now after he had dismissed it so quickly last time.

Bruce leaned into her touch finding everything about her surreal. A few months ago she had been avoiding him and now she was actually making contact with him.

Alfred shook his head in amusement at Bruce's reaction. He looked like a statue in front of Monica, the butler wondered if the playboy had forgotten to breathe.

"Are you sure you don't want to go with me tonight?" Bruce asked as Monica dropped her hand from its previous position. She smiled up at him; Bruce's day was practically made with that simple act.

"I can't," she replied not really wishing to attend the Christmas party Bruce was hosting in Gotham. She really didn't feel like mingling with the aristocrats tonight. Not to mention every time she went to one of those something seemed to go wrong. "Don't come back late," she warned him after Bruce sighed. Without her there he would certainly return earlier, there would be nothing to keep his mind off of the women attending the party.

As soon as he stepped in alone they would probably swarm around him and follow him until he either picked one of them or left. He was dreading the event already without Monica there. Come to think of it her absence would be noted by several aristocrats and the paparazzi. Going suddenly became much more of a bother than he had originally thought. He would need a good excuse for her not being with him.

"Master Wayne, you will be late again if you stay here any longer," Alfred reminded him snapping Bruce out of his thoughts. He would have to come up with an excuse later; he had to get to the party first. "Just like last year," Alfred added making Monica laugh at Bruce's expression. The playboy threw his butler with a warning glance; he obviously hadn't wanted her to find out about his lack of time management.

"I'll be back soon," Bruce told the pair. Alfred merely nodded back in understanding. Monica shifted the puppy onto her other hand before offering him another of her rare smiles. Bruce turned away from them content with her change in moods before heading for the door.

Monica set the puppy down when she heard the door shut behind the playboy. She headed back into the living room while trying to coax the small pitbull to follow her. Much to her surprise the small puppy had been right behind her the whole time. It wobbled from side to side clearly unbalanced but managed to keep up with her by making short little jumps towards her.

The small puppy lost its balance after one of its jumps and fell on its side before rolling over several times on the floor trying to get back up unsuccessfully. Monica had to stop herself from voicing how cute the pitbull was when it continued its battle against the floor beneath it.

"You're going to be the death of me," she commented reaching down and placing it back up onto its feet. The puppy merely whined in response and chewed at her sleeve finding it interesting all of a sudden.

"What am I going to name you," Monica thought out loud wondering whether the puppy was male or female. She picked it up despite its obvious squirming and protests upon being interrupted from its previous chewing session with her sleeve. She nodded in confirmation before setting it down once more.

"Boy," she said with slight happiness, the puppy glanced up at her before sitting sideways and placing its head on her crossed legs. She couldn't stop the sad smile that crossed her lips when she recalled the Rottweilers that she had taken care of a few weeks ago. They had done the same whenever she sat down beside them. Her mind suddenly clicked and she stopped searching for a name. She had the perfect one already.

"Voodoo," she commented making the puppy look up at her and yawn in disinterest. Monica laughed and ran a hand through its soft fur content with her gift from Bruce. "You're name is going to be Voodoo."

"Miss Van Buren, there are some men at the door," Alfred informed her making Monica look up suddenly with confusion apparent in her eyes. "They claim to know you; I will not hesitate to get rid of them if you do not wish to see them."

Monica shook her head at Alfred and rose placing the sleeping pitbull in her arms on the leather couch carefully making sure it hadn't stirred. She walked towards the door with Alfred behind her. She couldn't fathom who would come to Bruce's mansion at this hour, much less to see her. The only people who knew that she was here were Bruce and her brother.

A part of her wanted to turn around and run back into the mansion when her hand wrapped around the doorknob. She scolded herself for being so weak over something so meaningless, she had to start being stronger if she wanted to get anywhere. She breathed out slowly trying to calm her nerves before she opened the door.

She didn't know who they were at first, the sight of the two men standing there in the cold made her want to slam the door in their faces. They certainly didn't look like they were the type to be messed with. It wasn't until she heard one of their voices that she relaxed slightly.

"Hey, babe," the taller one commented. Monica turned to look at him and started to slowly recognize him. That particular tone of voice and his green eyes were enough to make the connection. He was one of the Joker's goons, Grumpy, if she remembered correctly. The only thing that had stumped her was the fact that he wasn't wearing his usual mask.

"God, sorry," she apologized stepping aside, "its freezing outside, come in." She gave Alfred a nod letting him know that she knew them. Well, it wasn't a complete lie, she knew one of them. The second goon that stepping in after Grumpy startled her briefly before she closed the door behind them.

"I will be in the kitchen if you need anything," Alfred informed her. The butler had a feeling that she would want to talk to the pair of men alone. The fact that she had let them in gave Alfred some sort of comfort, she wouldn't have greeted them if she didn't trust them. He merely hoped he wouldn't be needed.

Monica nodded back and watched as the butler left before she entered the living room where the two goons where. She sat down on one of the couches cautiously before the pair sat down on the one opposite from her.

"How did he know I was here?" Monica asked in a hushed voice turning to look at Grumpy. The goon laughed rather carelessly knowing the butler wouldn't hear them. The mansion wasn't built that way, sound didn't carry through easily.

"Darling, he knows everything," he replied in his usual low voice. Monica found it in herself to actually look at him for a second realizing it would probably be the last time she saw him without his mask. Now that she really had a good look at his face she found that he was rather good looking. He had a certain biker look to him that Judas had before; she stopped her thoughts before she went any further. She wouldn't recall him tonight.

Her attention shifted to the goon who sat quite still beside him. The thing that got to her was how young he appeared to be. No older than 17, the fact disturbed her greatly. She didn't know the Joker recruited goons that young. The scars on the boy's hands made Monica wince inwardly, they must have been rather painful when they had been open.

The young goon paid no attention to her; instead he kept his eyes closed and his jaw clenched in control. Monica found herself rather interested in him; he seemed too young to be working with the clown. Surely there had to be a good story behind him. She ignored it when Grumpy elbowed the goon beside him in obvious displeasure.

"The boss wouldn't like it if he saw how you're treating her," Grumpy growled warningly. The other goon's eyes snapped open upon hearing what the older man had just said. Monica saw a brief flash of panic in his eyes before it disappeared as quickly as it came.

She was rather shocked to see his eyes; they resembled those of a cat. She tilted her head in amusement before smiling, contacts. That had to be the explanation behind them, they had to be contacts. She stopped her obvious staring when he shifted. Even then he didn't look up at her.

"_Guten abend," _the young goon mumbled making Monica tilt her head even more. She had to stop herself from smiling even more at the rather unusual boy. The fact that he had just said 'Good evening' in German lightened her day. It had been a while since she heard her native language.

"You're German?" she asked as the goon looked up briefly at her. He dropped his gaze quickly and shifted once more clearly uncomfortable with having to converse with her. He didn't want to upset the Joker either when they got back and Grumpy informed the clown of his failure to entertain the woman in front of him.

He nodded slightly, "You?"

"_Ja," _she replied with a smirk catching him off guard. He hadn't expected her to know German. Grumpy merely stared at the young goon next to him expectantly. The other seemed to remember something as he shifted once more and reached inside of his blue hoodie.

Monica wondered if he wasn't cold, the weather was rather nasty and a simple hoodie wouldn't protect him against the cold. She tensed when she saw him pull something out of it. She dropped her head into her hands when she realized what it was.

Could the night possibly hold any more surprises for her?

"It's from the boss," Grumpy explained as the other goon handed off the small bundle of fur to her. Monica took the white pitbull puppy into her hands, its stumpy tail wagged wildly when she placed it on her lap. Its cropped ears twirled around excitedly at every new sound. The fact that it had green eyes made her want to laugh her head off, the puppy reminded her of the clown who had given it to her. "I guess it's his payment for getting us out of the warehouse."

Monica looked at him sharply; Grumpy immediately clenched his jaw understanding her warning. She didn't want to be reminded of her time spent with Bane; he would make a mental note of it.

"We gotta go, we've been wanting to catch the men who did that to you," Grumpy commented standing and stretching. Monica's jaw dropped open when the realization suddenly hit her. All of the reports on the news that she had seen of mob bosses showing up dead on the streets suddenly resurfaced.

"He's responsible for all of those deaths?" Monica asked setting the puppy down beside the black one Bruce had given her. Grumpy turned to look at her briefly noticing that she had just come to that conclusion.

"We haven't found the right people," he replied with a slight smirk, "come on, Blade, we got work to do." The younger goon shot out of the couch instantly upon hearing the man. He moved towards the door followed by Grumpy. Monica paused slightly; they were going to continue killing innocent people until they found the ones that had abused her.

"Wait!" she called after them. Grumpy stopped and turned to look at her questioningly as she grabbed her sketchbook and gave it to him. The goon took it into his hands with a confused look on his expression.

"I managed to draw them up, it'll make it easier on you guys," she explained pointing to the book he held in his hands. Grumpy nodded in understanding before Blade opened the door more than eager to leave the mansion.

"We'll get em' for you, babe," Grumpy told her seriously before turning and closing the door behind her. Monica sunk back into the leather chair and wondered if she had done the right thing. She had basically sentenced three men to their deaths the moment she handed Grumpy the sketchbook. Was that wrong of her?

Did she deserve to decide whether they lived or died? Her conscience started to eat away at her; she had no right to play with people's lives. Then again, she had probably saved a lot of mobsters from their deaths when she narrowed it down to just three. Either way, she couldn't win; she was still to blame for whatever happened next.

She noticed the pair of puppies struggling with each other on the couch. Voodoo nipped at the white one rather ferociously while the other puppy continued to provoke him.

Monica pulled them apart and took the white one into her hands much to Voodoo's dismay. The black puppy pawed at her arm wishing for her attention. She noticed the white pitbull was also male, she smiled at the coincidence.

"Hoodoo," she told the puppy with her smile back in place. She had their names picked out, with that thought she set the white one back down only to find Voodoo ready to pounce on it.

Hoodoo whined pitifully reminding her of a hyena's laughter, perhaps that had gotten the Joker's attention in the first place.

Monica could only wonder.

She sighed before moving forward to pull them apart. Voodoo's golden eyes stared at Hoodoo with a hint of boredom and displeasure. Hoodoo on the other hand stared back provokingly, the puppy kept pawing at the Voodoo even when Monica held them apart by the scruff of their necks.

She sighed and rolled her eyes before realizing the mistake she had made. Perhaps she had named them wrong; their rivalry reminded her of certain pair. Their color schemes and attitudes certainly fit the men she was thinking of.

Monica set hem down away from one another and ran a hand through their fur until they managed to fall asleep beside her. She shook her head in amusement before coming to one conclusion.

"Perhaps I should have named you two Batman and Joker."

**Review!**


	26. New Year's Eve with The Joker

**New Year's Eve with The Joker**

**A/N: Well here it is my dears. I'm exhausted at the moment and feel awful for not replying to you guys. I'll do it for the next chapter though so dont worry D: Let me know what you thought!**

"Watch where you're going little girl!" a voice shrieked as Monica rode past the car at an alarming speed. The rumbling from the motorcycle beneath her steadied her nerves. The wind whipped her black hair back and despite the chill that it brought she found herself enjoying the feeling.

She was going to be late if she didn't hurry up. She had promised Bruce she would meet him at the party he was attending before the midnight. Gotham, however, seemed to have other plans. Cars flooded the streets with drivers trying to get to their destinations before the year ended.

Monica sighed and pulled back on the breaks when she noticed she wasn't going to make it past the yellow light. The bike skid to a halt seconds before cars whizzed by and horns blared at her for her carelessness. She sat against the leather seat trying to relax her tense muscles.

Bruce was going to kill her if she missed the New Year's Eve party. She glanced down at her phone and tapped her boot against the gravel beneath her in irritation. She only had two hours to get there and the light ahead didn't seem like it was going to change any time soon.

She growled in irritation when the light finally changed and sped down the road leaving the other cars behind. A large Christmas tree managed to catch her attention as she drove by, she slowed the motorcycle to get a better look. She noticed it was in the center of a large park.

Monica found herself parking the motorcycle despite her previous rush, she had two hours to spare. Her boots made the snow beneath them crunch as she walked towards it. The colorful lights that illuminated the area around the tree made her relax for a brief moment. She breathed in deeply enjoying the smell of pine around her.

The lack of people walking around made her smile, for once she could have a moment of peace. Monica placed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and closed her eyes enjoying the feel of the air around her. The year was going to come to an end soon. Had it really been five months since she had first arrived at Gotham?

Silence surrounded her allowing her to think clearly and without interruption before she was joined by another person. Monica clenched her jaw and refused to open her eyes, with any luck they would just leave. The familiar sound of the snow beside her being disrupted made her sigh inwardly.

"I never thought I would find you here, doll," a voice commented making Monica groan in frustration. He was the last person she had wanted to see. She opened her eyes and turned her head to the side to get a better view of the clown.

"Touché," she replied wishing to be left alone. Why couldn't she have a moment of total peace? Gotham seemed to get a kick out of making her run into madmen every time she went somewhere. Now that she really thought of it she hadn't heard anything from Bane or Scarecrow. Her mind instantly scolded her for even thinking of the pair.

"Care to, uh, enlighten me?" the Joker asked looking around noticing they were alone. Of course they were, even if someone were to walk by they would leave as soon as they saw him there. He was hard to miss; his green hair, purple outfit, and makeup covered face weren't too subtle.

Monica sighed; there was no way he was going to leave any time soon. She wondered why she was still standing beside him. Why hadn't she run away like any other person would have done? The clown was capable of killing her with a flick of his wrist; surely she should be afraid of being in his presence. She couldn't understand her reasoning at the moment, perhaps she was getting used to his presence.

"Sure," she replied turning to look at the tree once more. So much for having a moment to herself, what was he doing in the park to begin with? She resisted the urge to ask him and held her tongue while she waited for him to speak.

"Why are you here…when you could be there mingling with Gotham's finest?" the Joker asked pointing to emphasize his point. Monica followed his hand and found herself looking at the buildings that beckoned to her in the distance. The bright lights that illuminated the city made her wince. She would rather stay in the park with the dim lights around her.

"It's too fake sometimes," Monica replied before she could even register what had just left her mouth. The Joker turned to look at her and snapped his fingers making her jump beside him. The clown made a mental note to be less theatric around her. Every little thing he did seemed to startle her.

"You're starting to think like yours truly, beautiful," he commented with a smile on his scarred lips. Monica stared at him briefly before directing her gaze elsewhere. A bright red sphere on the tree suddenly became interesting to her.

"Why are you here?" she asked shaking briefly when a cold gush of wind hit them from behind. The Joker's brow rose when he heard her question.

"I've been wanting to burn this tree for a while," he replied with a light laugh. Monica frowned upon hearing the clown, she liked the tree. She saw no reason for him to reduce it to ashes; then again she never saw any reason behind his actions.

"Why destroy something beautiful?" Monica asked before she could stop herself. The Joker's smile dropped slightly when he heard her. Seeing something beautiful reduced to burning embers and black ash brought joy to the clown. The more he thought about it, however, he found himself wishing to leave the tree be. He couldn't quite understand his own thought process when it came to his sudden change of heart. It confused him and being confused was not something he favored.

Monica turned to look at him when she noticed the clown turn away from her and start to walk away. She didn't know what made her follow after him. It wasn't until she found herself walking beside him that she realized how troubled he seemed.

His usual smile was missing; she found it odd to see him like that. A small voice in the back of her head scolded her when she realized it had probably been something she had said.

The Joker knew she was walking next to him, it didn't seem to bother him. The clown reached in and pulled her sketchbook out of the inside of his coat. Monica's eyes lit up upon seeing it while she reached for it. Much to her disappointment and confusion the Joker rose it up above her and out of her reach.

She stopped walking and found it in herself to glare at the clown prince of crime. The bastard was using his height to his advantage. There was no way she was ever going to reach her sketchbook when he held it above her with his hand.

"I found some interesting drawings in here," the clown commented catching Monica's attention. She stopped reaching for it and stood in front of him with confusion written all over her features. The Joker lowered his arm when he noticed she had given up on trying to take it from him.

Monica found her body paralyzed as he leaned towards her with his mocking smile back in place. She stopped breathing when she realized how close he was, she could practically feel his body heat.

"I don't understand your fascination with these," the clown whispered to her rather menacingly. Monica found her cheeks burning up upon remembering her sketches. Her eyes landed on the pair of scars on the clown's face. She had drawn them up numerous times before; she couldn't quite place her feelings towards his trademark permanent smile. Monica was embarrassed at the fact that she had forgotten to check the sketchbook before she gave it to Grumpy.

"D-do they ever hurt?" she whispered unable to move still as the Joker's eyes shot towards her own. His jaw clenched in control before he pulled away from her. He hadn't been expecting her to ask such a question. By this time anyone else would have been running away in fear from him. What made her stay and poke her nose into matters where her concern wasn't needed?

"Never," he replied quickly. Monica frowned, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was lying to her. They had to be painful, especially when he smiled so often. The makeup that he wore certainly had to irritate them as well.

Monica found her concern towards the clown in front of her disturbing. Why was she worrying over him? Despite her mind arguing with her she couldn't stop herself from letting another comment slip through her lips.

"Just once…I would like to see you without that damn makeup," she confessed catching the clown's attention. He looked at her trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She wasn't acting like her usual self.

Monica on the other hand was lost in her own thoughts. What would he look like without makeup smeared all over his face? If she managed to get rid of his garish green hair and purple outfit would he still look like the clown whom everyone feared?

The Joker's smile dropped once more, he found he did that often whenever he was around her. Alarms were going off in his head when he noticed her step closer to him. He couldn't quite understand her and that was something that didn't sit well with him.

The fact that she had just requested to see him without his makeup stirred something within him. He wasn't particularly fond of feelings he didn't understand.

She was an unsolvable puzzle to him and he was growing weary of her. It bothered him that he wasn't able to read her like he usually could whenever he killed someone or tortured them. His hand yearned to wrap around her neck and apply pressure until her eyes no longer confused him. He wanted to see them cloud over with death. He longed to hear the pleasing crack that would follow when he constricted her small neck until her bones shattered.

The Joker felt his hand twitch beside him in anticipation. He was about to act and end her life then and there before he noticed her reach out towards him. The hand that he had been about to use to choke her shot towards her wrist instead of her neck. He held her in place noticing how close she had come to actually touching the scar on the left side of his face.

"The makeup dosent come off, beautiful," he snarled snapping himself out of his own thoughts. Monica winced when she felt his grip constrict around her wrist. Her hand clenched in his grip and she stared back defiantly at him.

She was being stupid, he wasn't someone she should be messing with. It wouldn't take much to make him snap and kill her; she had learned that a while ago. Her mind, however, pushed that important fact aside.

"Go ahead," she hissed fighting back the tears of pain that pooled over her eyes. She had just dared him to kill her, was she losing her mind?

The Joker's teeth grit loudly upon hearing her, she was infuriating to him. He let her go harshly and stepped away before giving her the black sketchbook in his gloved hand.

The clown had to stop himself from pointing out that he had already found one of the men she had drawn for him. His mind told him that he would only upset her more than she already was if he reminded her of what had happened. He didn't feel like dealing with an emotional woman at the moment.

Monica took it from him cautiously despite the ache that it caused her when she moved her hand. The clown didn't miss the brief flash of red that he had left on her wrist. She pulled the sleeve of her jacket down to cover it before looking at him once more. She beat herself up for being so careless around him; she was amazed she was still breathing.

"I'm going to be late thanks to you," she murmured looking at her phone when it vibrated with a message. She turned and started to walk away from him in a hurry. She had to leave before she pushed the clown over his limits. The small gasp that she made seconds before he saw her slip due to a patch of ice amused him.

He had planned on telling her it had been covered with a thin layer of snow. The Joker shrugged, it must have slipped his mind..

Monica glared at him from her position over the sheet of ice that covered the small pond that she had fallen into. The clown's booming cackles surrounded her as she tried to get up but stopped as soon as she heard the ice beneath her crack. She was in no mood to get wet tonight. She didn't want to find out how deep the water was either.

"Doll, you never cease to amaze me," he choked despite his laughing fit. Monica looked at him with slight fear once she noticed the ice crack even more. Every move she made was only bringing her closer to falling into the freezing water below.

"Shut up," she snapped trying to sound mad. It came out more worried than she had meant it to. The Joker heard the change in her tone of voice; he shook his head trying to calm himself down.

"Alright, sit tight I'll get ya' out," he commented laughing slightly before he carefully made his way down the small hill she had slid down from. Monica stared at him hopelessly from her position in the center of the pond.

"No don't step there-" she exclaimed waving her arms dramatically at him noticing the patch of ice seconds before the clown lost his balance. Monica face palmed when she felt him land hard on the surface of the pond. Several more cracks surrounded the pair, she sighed in dismay.

The Joker groaned behind her as she turned to look at him. He remained staring up at the sky with his back against the surface of the pond. The clown could have sworn he saw stars with the force of the collision he had just had.

"We should do this more often," he commented with a smile. Monica found herself laughing more out of disbelief than actual amusement. Now they were both stuck in the middle of nowhere on a frozen pond.

The clown sat up and froze beside her when more cracks followed; Monica wondered when they were going to fall into the water. It was only a matter of time until it gave in with their combined weight. She brushed the thought aside and rested her body against the clown's back.

The Joker turned to look at her over his shoulder when he felt her body against his own. He didn't bother in pushing her away. That would only increase the chances of the ice beneath them to finally shatter.

The Joker merely searched through his coat eagerly knowing they were going to be there for a while. He pulled out clear plastic bag with obvious content. He bit down on one of the cookies his goons had made the day before.

Monica's jaw dropped open in shock when she saw him eating his troubles away with chocolate chip cookies. She had her doubts about him truly being mad, now she was sure of it.

"Want one?" she heard him ask as he waved the bag over his head. Monica found herself smiling at the predicament they were in before she took it out of his hand and bit one of the cookies. She was surprised at how good it actually tasted.

"I suppose you'll want this," she commented giving him her phone. The Joker took it from her hand and sent a message to his goons. If they didn't show up in the next hour to get him out and he actually got wet he would make sure to slice all of their throats.

He didn't feel like going by the dry cleaners once more to get his suit cleaned. His mind reminded him that he had killed the man who usually did the job after he had failed to removed the blood stains from his latest victim.

Monica turned towards the city when fireworks started to go off around them. She glanced down at her phone after the clown had given it back and cursed. She noticed she had just missed the countdown that happened once a year. What was she supposed to tell Bruce this time? She had barely managed to come up with an explanation for Hoodoo a few days ago.

"Happy New Year, beautiful," the clown chuckled knowing she had probably missed something important thanks to him. Monica sighed and found herself resting her head against his back with a smile. It hadn't been what she had originally planned but starting the year off with the clown didn't bother her as much as it should have.

She found herself replying back despite everything that had happened between them recently. The smile on her lips as she said it seemed foreign, even to her.

"Happy New Year, Joker."

**Review! I wanna see some new faces! :D**


	27. Welcome to the Narrows

**Welcome to the Narrows**

**A/N: It seems like its been forever since I updated! Here it is my dears, let me know what you think and thank you for all of the reviews! :DDD**

**Loki-Prime: Im glad that you see the Joker in a different light now XD Hope you enjoy the chapter :D**

**AnonymouslyJoker: That happens to me as well when Im on my way to school -_- glad you like it though!**

**Random Person 94: I couldn't have said it better myself :D**

**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: I never considered fluff to be my strong point, it makes me honored to have someone say that :DDD**

**messerpadfootforever: He's more than amazing ;)**

**melloschocolatebars: I stayed up all night writing this XD And dont worry I wont be stopping any time soon ;D**

**Zeny: You're one of the few who caught the lines :D You are amazing my dear ;D**

**AmeliaDogwood: I would too :3**

**up in the woods: Thank you ;D**

**LaurenvBelladonna: They wont have to meet anymore after this chapter I'm afraid XD Im glad you liked it :D**

** 7426: The cookies live on ;D**

**TheCleverGirl: There'll be more moments coming up in later chapters, you can count on that :D**

**RosalieRowan: Yes he is :DDD**

**SuperheroAnimeGeek : "its DESTINY." That right there made my entire day :D**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234 : Not as soon as I would have liked but here it is :)**

**lynnieloo25: Thank God I managed to keep him in character with so much fluff going on! :D**

**LivinJgrl123: Now that I think of it, it is quite funny XD**

"That was a stupid ending!" Monica protested crossing her arms over her chest. Bruce turned to look at her with an amused expression before shaking his head. They had barely finished watching 'The Phantom of the Opera'.

"She chose the right person," the playboy commented pointing out the obvious. Monica pouted beside him while her brow furrowed in thought. She wrapped the furs around her small frame tightly before scowling.

"What about the Phantom?" Monica asked surprised she was having this discussion with Bruce in the first place. She found it unfair that Christine, the Phantom's muse, had run off with some fop instead of the masked man.

"He didn't love her, he was merely obsessed," Bruce replied making Monica turn away from him in denial. She would have changed the ending if she had a say in it. To her, the Phantom should have had Christine by his side. He didn't have anything else in the world, no one cared whether he lived or died, he deserved a shred of happiness in his life. Her mind reminded her that things didn't work out that way. The heroes usually got the girl, not the villains.

"It doesn't seem right," Monica sighed knowing it was pointless to try and argue. Bruce looked at her intently. The fact that she favored the antagonist in the movie sent a pang of jealously through him when the Joker ran through his mind. The fact that she had crossed paths with the clown on several occasions and come out alive concerned him.

The playboy brushed the thought aside with a scoff. There was no way the Joker favored the woman next to him. The maniac wasn't capable of feeling anything close to kindness much less love. It seemed to ease his mind briefly. Until he remembered that she hadn't seemed to mind her run ins with him.

"So the bad guy should get the girl?" Bruce asked turning to look at her. His mocking expression hid the seriousness behind his question. Monica turned to look at him as well when she heard him. Somewhere in the back of her mind she found herself rather confused when it came to answering. She hid it well, however, and smiled at him briefly.

"Most of the time, no," she answered shaking her head before her eyes drifted to the fireplace a few feet away. Bruce's brow furrowed in confusion when he heard her. There seemed to be a hint of doubt in her voice, he was bent on finding out where it came from.

"Most of the time?" the playboy questioned turning away from her as well. His hand turned the large television in front of them off with a flick of his wrist. Monica's eyes followed the movement and closed when it reminded her of a certain clown and his knife.

"Everyone needs love, Bruce," she replied opening her eyes. She avoided the dumbfounded look Bruce was giving her, "even the bad guys."

The billionaire beside her nodded in understanding before he noticed her stand up. She turned to look at him briefly and muttered a quiet good night before she disappeared from his sight.

Monica walked away from him silently, her own thoughts running wild. She didn't know where that had come from. What had she been thinking when she answered like that? Bruce would probably think she had gone mad. She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity before entering her large room.

Her pair of puppies bounded towards her as she fell back on the bed. The two dogs jumped onto it after some struggle and lay beside her. Monica found herself drifting off into sleep, her eyelids growing heavy. Her body gave in and fell into a deep slumber due to her exhausted state.

Her brief moment of sleep, however, was interrupted by a crash downstairs. Monica woke with a startled jump and leapt off of the bed before tip toeing towards the door. She pressed her head up against it and after hearing silence on the other end she opened it slowly.

Her head poked out of the doorway seconds before her whole body followed. She moved down the hallway cautiously guiding herself in the dark by running her hand up against the wall beside her. The mansion had grown eerily silent which made her wonder if she had merely imagined the noise from before.

Her light footsteps echoed down the hall as she stopped near the corner leading towards the stairs. She leaned her body over the edge of it wearily and looked at the staircase intently. She sighed noticing there was nothing there before shuffling from behind made her jump in fear.

She spun around with such speed and carelessness that her elbow rammed into the figure's face. Monica's hands flew up to cover her mouth in shock when she noticed it was merely Bruce who had been standing behind her.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed panicking when she saw blood drip down from the hand he was covering his mouth with. "It's just that I heard something and I thought I would go out and see what it was," she continued before Bruce silenced her with a wave of his hand.

"It's fine," he told her trying to calm her down. He should have been the one panicking not her. Much like her he too had heard something peculiar coming from downstairs. He had gone out to see what it was only to get hit in the face for his lack of attention. He had been standing behind her and startled her, what had he expected?

"Master Wayne, are you alright?" Alfred's voice asked from the bottom of the stairs. Monica and Bruce turned to look at the butler in unison. Bruce stared at Alfred questioningly when he saw the older man turn the lights on. "I have already checked...there is nothing here."

The playboy sighed with relief before he lowered his hand. Monica's startled gasp made him regret the action. He immediately brought it back up to cover his split lip before Alfred shook his head in dismay.

"I shall retrieve the necessary supplies," the butler informed them before leaving the pair. Monica turned to look at Bruce with embarrassment. She had been the one to injure him after all. Bruce found himself being led down the stairs by the young tattoo artist who kept ranting on about her carelessness.

The playboy paid little attention to her apologies as she led him into the living room. She sat down beside him with worry etched into her features as Alfred entered with a bottle of alcohol and some gauze.

"I'll do it myself, Alfred," the playboy informed his butler as the older man nodded and turned to leave once more. Monica watched as Bruce poured the alcohol into the white gauze and hesitated before he placed it over the cut on his lip. The hiss that escaped him made her wince; it was her fault that he was going through it in the first place. She felt useless as he hesitated even more when it came to actually cleaning the wound.

"Just let me do it," she told him taking the gauze from his hand. Bruce froze when she scooted closer to him. Monica swatted his hands away and stared at him with amusement when he flinched away from her. "Sit still," she ordered placing a hand on the right side of his face to hold him in place. Bruce froze beneath her touch, the pain hardly noticeable when she was the one cleaning the blood off of the wound.

The playboy leaned into her touch as she continued to disinfect the deep cut. The frown on her lips as she did it made Bruce regret letting her see it in the first place. When she pulled back the billionaire found himself frowning as well. Monica noticed and instantly began to panic once more.

"Is it painful?" she asked feeling guilt as she pulled her hands away from him instantly. Bruce couldn't help but smile inwardly when he saw her worried face. He shook his head as a sigh of relief escaped through her lips.

"Thank you for the help, even if you were the one who beat me up," he told her as Monica stood up and laughed at his comment. She looked at him briefly before turning away.

"Better watch yourself, Bruce," she replied teasingly making Brue chuckle from his position on the couch. The playboy merely shut the lights off and headed towards his own room to resume his interrupted sleep. Monica walked towards her room with a feeling of content and opened the door before stepping inside.

She jumped when the door closed behind her. Her startled eyes met with the man who had been waiting behind it. No doubt he had been the one to break into the house earlier and cover his tracks without Alfred or Bruce noticing him.

"B-Bane?" Monica stuttered looking around noticing the lack of men around him. The masked man pushed himself off of the wall behind him and walked towards her. Monica backed away from him slowly and fell back onto the bed when she tripped over it.

"Get up," he ordered walking towards her open window. Monica turned to look at him and stood shakily before wondering why he was there and how he had found her.

"Why are you here?" she managed to ask not really wishing to see him. He reminded her of the nightmares she was still trying to shake, of the memories that wouldn't let her be. The masked man seemed to ignore her question. He was more concerned with what was outside than her.

"I do not wish to waste more time, come," he snapped motioning to her. Monica found herself walking towards him more out of fear than actual compliance. She flinched when his strong grip wrapped around her arm and tugged her towards him.

Monica glanced back at her room and at the sleeping pitbulls on her bed before she crashed into his chest. She gasped in horror when she felt him wrap and arm around her waist and jump over the railing. Her arms flew up and locked around his neck in fear, her heart skipped a beat as he rappelled down the side of the mansion.

Bane jumped down when he ran out of rope and let go of the woman in his arms. He walked over to the car that was parked a few feet away with Monica's wrist in his iron grip. She wondered where he was taking her. Her eyes kept glancing back at the mansion that they were leaving behind praying that Bruce and Alfred didn't notice her absence.

Monica's attention was brought back down to earth when she was ushered into the car followed by Bane. He slammed the door shut and nodded to the driver who immediately drove away. Monica looked around noticing the lack of men he had brought with him. She was too startled and shocked to ask what he wanted from her.

"Turn around," Bane's voice snapped making her jump beside him and hesitantly do as she was told. She turned to look at him with protest when she felt him slice through her shirt with his knife like before. "I cannot have them know that you are a woman," he explained briefly confusing her even more.

She shivered when the cold air hit her back, her arms flew up to cover her exposed chest before she felt his arms drape over her. He started to wrap white bandages around her upper chest. Bane gave the bindings a harsh tug making Monica inhale sharply for air. She kept wincing every time he pulled the bandages tighter over her chest. Her answers were still not answered and she was growing restless.

"I think its tight enough," she hissed. She was already having difficulties with breathing, whatever Bane had in mind it couldn't be anything extreme. Her body was too restricted to do anything right.

"It's not enough," Bane growled noticing the shape that her body still had. He threw a black hoddie at her and waited for her to put it on before looking her over once more. The dark piece of clothing helped but it still wasn't enough.

"We tracked down the mob who slaughtered my men," Bane told her tossing a snapback black L.A. hat at her. Monica got the message and gathered her hair into a messy bun before hiding it with the hat. Bane resisted the urge to choke her; even then it still wasn't enough. "I need you to spot the men who raped you; you are free to leave after that."

Monica nodded numbly at his words. She had a feeling that was what he wanted of her, she was merely grateful that it hadn't been something more demanding. She noticed them pull up to a large building after a long drive, her eyes never left Bane's form as he led her towards it.

The rest of his men joined them and looked at her with doubt in their eyes. Bane looked around before he noticed a patch of dirt beneath him. He crouched and ran his hand over it before he stood and applied a fake moustache on her top lip.

"It will have to do," his deep voice snapped before he pushed her inside of the warehouse and followed behind her. Monica found herself wanting to run back and leave before she could actually find the men. She didn't want to be there. Bane's imposing form urged her to keep walking every time she stopped and he ran into her.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly looking at the men patrolling the area. None of them looked remotely like the men that had taken advantage of her. She turned to look at Bane when she received nothing but silence. Monica wondered if he had even heard her. Bane merely ignored her; he wasn't helping her out of the goodness of his heart. She reminded him of Talia, that was the only reason he wanted the men who had done that to her suffer.

Monica on the other hand didn't have any time to ponder it further. A familiar pair of voices neared them; she turned and recognized the men in an instant. They were walking towards them, heads held high with their guns resting beside them.

Bane instantly knew it was them. The moment Monica froze in front of him had alerted him of their presence. He moved to the side when they walked closer to their hiding place.

"Hey little boy, what do you think you're doing here?" one of them asked catching sight of Monica. She froze in place when she heard the man talk to her once more. Flashbacks instantly flooded through her mind making her retreat further back. Where was Bane when she needed him?

"I say we shoot him and save ourselves the trouble of having to torture him later on," the other commented raising his gun and pointing it at Monica. She looked around and noticed she was completely alone. Tears pooled at her eyes, she was slowly losing the control she held over herself.

She actually cried out in joy when she saw the figure standing behind the pair of men. Her watery eyes stared at Bane as he reached forward and grabbed the two men before they could notice him. Their guns clattered onto the ground when Bane punched one of them and kicked the other. The pair of men crashed onto the ground in front of Monica making her jump back.

"Shit…that's not a guy," one of them commented noticing Monica's facial features. The other man turned to look at her as well before his gaze darkened and he reached towards her.

"It's Bane's little bitch, she led him here!" he growled reaching for Monica once more. She turned and ran away from him out of fear knowing that her job was done. She had led Bane to them; there was no reason for her to remain there. She certainly didn't want to see them any longer. Bane could do whatever he wanted to them as long as she wasn't there.

The sound of cracking bones and bloodcurdling screams reached her as she banged through the backdoor and ran into something solid. Her mind had little time to register who the figure was. She was still caught up with the two men inside.

"Move out of my way, boy," a gravelly voice ordered. Monica glanced up at the man and flinched when the caped crusader grabbed her shoulders and placed her aside. She reached for him when she remembered Bane was still in there.

Monica didn't even want to think of what would happen if their paths crossed. Bane was not to be messed with. She was sure that Batman would have his hands full when it came to the other man. She didn't feel like being responsible for the death of another man that night. She was sure that the dark knight would fall under Bane.

"Wait," she pleaded closing the door and placing her body in front of it. Batman tilted his head at the boy in front of him when he heard his voice. It seemed too high for a man; then again he didn't really have any time to be wasting on him.

"Move," he ordered, his patience running dry. Monica shook her head stubbornly making the hat fall from her head. She cursed when her straight black hair fell out of its bindings. Batman growled upon seeing this and moved forward once more wanting to know who was in the warehouse. If it was the Joker the dark knight wouldn't hesitate to beat the clown to a pulp tonight. He was endangering Monica once more by dragging her along during his escapades.

"Girl, if you don't move-" he started once more before he reached for her. Monica brushed the dirt off of her lip with ease knowing it was useless now. She shook her head denying him access before she was picked up with ease and set aside. Her teeth grit in anger, she didn't like being treated like a ragdoll.

She sighed in irritation before reaching for Batman once more. She did the only thing she could do to keep him from taking another step inside. Her mind kept telling her how wrong the action was. For some reason she didn't care. As long as it kept him from going inside and running into Bane she would do whatever she could.

Her lips crashed onto his own making the dark knight tense up. Monica smiled slightly up against him when she noticed she had gotten him to stay still. Her lips moved against his and much to her surprise she found him kissing her back fiercely after a brief moment.

She gasped when the caped crusader pinned her up against the closest wall. His muscled arms constricted around her waist as they pulled her closer to him. Monica felt her body being pressed up against his own, the tables were being turned. She was supposed to be the one in control not him.

A gunshot made them break apart, both of them stared at each other briefly before Monica's brow furrowed in confusion. Her body froze before she ran her tongue over her bottom lip; the coppery taste of blood filled her senses. Her eyes scanned him intently taking the opportunity to look at the infamous Batman up close. The shot from before was the last thing on her mind as her eyes landed on the fresh cut on his lip.

Her lips parted slightly in shock as her mind put two and two together.

"Bruce?" she asked stepping away from him in surprise. Batman's own eyes widened upon hearing her. He remembered the cut he had obtained recently and cursed upon being so careless. He stepped away from her and shook his head. He hadn't wanted her to find out like this, he had gotten carried away with her.

"I meant to tell you sooner," he replied reaching out for her. Monica shook her head at him, she felt betrayed. Everyone in Gotham seemed hell-bent on lying to her about something. She couldn't believe he had kept something like that from her. If he was Batman then Alfred surely knew it as well. Her trust in the butler shattered upon realizing that the too had kept the secret from her. "Your brother-"

"My brother knew as well?" she asked in outrage before she turned away from him. She stormed out of the warehouse with Bruce right behind her. Her head was spinning uncontrollably. She had no one to turn to. Even her own brother had lied to her. She felt like she had been stabbed in the back by the only people she had foolishly trusted.

She cursed at how stupid she had been as well. It made perfect sense to her now. Bruce had the means to be Batman, he had the money, the contacts, and the equipment. He could get away with it with ease.

"We were trying to protect you," the dark knight tried to explain as she turned on him and stood her ground. Bruce stepped back when he saw the force of the glare that she as directing at him. He understood why she was mad. He hadn't wanted to have her feel hate towards him. A moment ago he had actually been enjoying himself. Until he remembered that he was still Batman, not Bruce.

"Protect me?" she laughed fighting back the tears in her eyes. "All you ever did was lie to me!" Bruce felt a pang in his chest as he heard her. There was no going back now, the truth as out. He only wished she could have found out another way. Perhaps if he hadn't lost himself briefly when she kissed him he would have been able to salvage their bond.

"Where are you going?" Bruce asked when she turned away from him and started to walk towards the more crowded streets where cars drove by. Monica didn't even bother in replying. She needed some time away from Bruce, from Alfred, from everyone.

Bruce merely stared after her hopelessly. There was no point in going after her now, she needed to be alone.

She stopped a taxi and arrived at the mansion after a few minutes of having to sit in the back seat restlessly. The man waited outside for her after she had told him to. Monica walked inside and headed straight for her room. The halls around her lost their luster and glory. They were nothing but dull walls and expensive heirlooms now. She saw everything differently.

The fact that she didn't see Alfred there eased her nerves, the last thing she wanted was to see the butler and let something hurtful slip out. He was the last person she wanted to fight with at the moment. She knew she was unstable at the moment and she knew she couldn't control what she said or did. Monica felt like screaming her frustrations out, she restrained and continued on her way.

She stepped into her room and packed her clothes back into her suitcase with haste. Hot tears streamed down her face as she hurled her clothes into it. Her two pitbulls sat on the bed looking at her with concerned expressions. She zipped up the suitcase catching her finger in the progress. Hissing, she pulled her hand back and licked the droplet of blood off of her finger before she resumed closing it.

She dropped a black envelope on her bed which contained all of the money Bruce had spent on the tattoo parlor and on her over the last months. In a couple of months she had managed to come up with the sum due to a steady stream of customers. There was no reason for him to see her again; she had paid her debt now. She certainly didn't want to be in his presence anymore, not when he had lied to her for so long.

Monica picked her two puppies up and balanced them in one arm while she pulled her suitcase with the other. She made her way down the stairs quickly and rushed out of the door before a flash from a camera caught her attention.

"Leaving Wayne Manor so soon?" a paparazzi woman asked. Monica could feel her blood seethe when the insolent woman followed her down the drive way asking several other questions. Much to her dismay she was soon joined by other paparazzi with more cameras.

"Yes, I'm leaving!" Monica snapped at them pushing her pitbulls inside of the taxi. She couldn't help the tears that escaped from her eyes freely now. "Just leave me alone."

The man helped her with her suitcase before she settled into the backseat and slammed the door behind her. The paparazzi seemed to get the picture and backed away afraid of her backlash.

Monica allowed herself to break down halfway to her destination. The puppies beside her tried their best to cheer her up. Even the taxi man lowered the volume of the music so she wouldn't be upset by it. By the time they pulled up to the apartment she had in the Narrows she had managed to compose herself briefly.

The suitcase banged on the staircase as she made her way up to the third level. She had been renting the room for over a week now. Her mind had told her that she had to move out of Bruce's mansion soon. She laughed when she realized how convenient it had been for her to have it now that she needed it the most. The fact that it was in the Narrows eased her mind, it would be the last place anyone would think of when searching for her.

Her hand shook as she tried to open the door and balance the puppies at the same time. She cursed when she dropped the keys and reached down to retrieve them. Voices coming from inside startled her. She made sure it was the right apartment before opening the door.

When she set the dogs down, however, she was greeted with utter chaos. Goons ran around ducking into cover while others merely stared at her and waved innocently. She groaned when she realized they had made themselves at home. Her mind reminded her of the connections the Joker had, especially in the Narrows. He would have found out she was renting an apartment the very same day she paid for it.

"It was Joker's idea, wasn't it?" she asked stepping into her goon infested apartment. Several men nodded feeling guilty for taking her apartment and making it into their headquarters. She wondered how no one else had noticed they had criminals living next to them.

"Sorry, darling," Grumpy commented from his place on the couch.. They knew she wasn't living in it and saw no harm in staying there until now.

Monica walked over to him and let her suitcase drop near the door before she collapsed onto the couch beside him. Grumpy was taken by surprise when she started to cry next to him. He didn't know if it was their presence there or of it was caused by something else.

He wrapped an arm around he awkwardly trying to comfort her before she let herself go. She cried freely on his chest while the rest of the goons kept their distance and went out of their way to prevent making any type of noise.

**Monica** didn't know what she was doing or where she was going with her life. Everything around her seemed to be crumbling and she was powerless to stop it. Her own brother had kept Bruce's secret from her. How could she possibly trust him after that?

She realized she was alone in Gotham.

"I- I can't do this anymore," she sobbed refusing to pull away from the goon who held her in his arms. Grumpy didn't know what was troubling her but he had a feeling it wasn't their intrusion on her home. He merely increased the hold he had on her as the door to her bedroom opened.

The Joker stepped out with freshly set make up on his face. His green hair had been dyed again and held its previous garish color. Monica paid no attention to him which made the clown turn to glare at his goon who stared back hopelessly.

"What did ya' do to her this time?" the clown asked in an annoyed tone as Monica finally looked up at him. Her bloodshot eyes locked with his own before she pulled away from Grumpy and stood abruptly. The room grew silent as every goon turned to look at the Joker and the woman standing in front of him.

She couldn't believe he had the nerve to invade her home after everything he had already done to her life. Seeing him standing before her with his smug smile in place made her want to strangle him. She felt like screaming at the men around her to get out of her apartment.

"This is all your fault!" she growled before she turned and stormed into her bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her making the men around her jump. The Joker stared at the wooden door with a dumbfounded look on his face.

He bit the inside of his cheek when he felt the familiar feeling of guilt resurface in his mind. The metallic taste of his own blood managed to distract him with the pain that he was feeling. With his emotions in control, he turned away from the bedroom and headed towards the door.

Several of his goons followed after him as he opened the door and turned to look back noticing some of his men had stayed behind. The Joker threw his second in command a warning look that promised death if he didn't do as he was expected to. Grumpy nodded at his boss, he would find out what he could as soon as she stepped out of her room.

The clown turned and muttered a single word with bitterness laced in his voice before he slammed the door shut behind him. He had people to find tonight after all and they weren't going to kill themselves.

"Women."

**Review!**


	28. According To Plan

**According To Plan  
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**A/N: Ah, it's been so long! I'm so sorry! School started and I've been so stressed out. I hate to keep you guys waiting. It's currently five in the morning and I havent slept at all -_- I promise to reply to your reviews in the next chapter my dears. A friend of mine bet 20 dollars on the fact that I wouldnt reach 300 by chapter 30...Help me prove the bastard wrong, I want to see his defeated face :D Anyway, here it is! Bare with me it's not my best, as I said before school stresses me out and Im sure it shows in this chapter. Enjoy, my dears! **

A black Escalade made its way down a lonely road. The gravel beneath the tires crunched as the truck picked up speed. The occupants inside were nodding off due to the several days they had gone without rest.

The Joker closed his eyes briefly and leaned against the back seat. His legs were stretched out in front of him. He disregarded the comfort of the goon who had the clown's shoe digging into his ribs. He could hear his bones popping as he rolled his shoulders and neck. The men around him shuddered and kept their distance when they noticed how tense he was.

"I heard he took down the Nazis yesterday," Chuckles, one of his goons, whispered looking out of the window. The Joker ignored the man and clenched his jaw; he could feel his teeth grinding against one another. The last thing he wanted was to hear of Bane's latest accomplishment. His headache seemed to return full force as soon as the man in question resurfaced in his thoughts.

"Took them down? He practically blew the place up," Happy added. The clown bit down on the scars on the inside of his cheeks when he heard his men. There was no way Bane was going to take his place in Gotham, he didn't care how many people he had to kill to get his point across. He was the one who blew things sky high, not a masked…f_reak-ah._ The Joker chuckled to himself when the word rang through his thoughts.

"He practically has control over the Narrows now," Blade commented catching the Joker's attention. The clown's eyes snapped open and shot over to the young goon warningly. The men who had been sitting near him drew away instinctively. They knew how unpredictable the clown was by now. The Narrows belonged to him, they always would.

They flinched when the Joker pulled out his knife and clicked it open. Blood sprayed onto their black jackets and the tinted windows when the clown drove the blade into the neck of the goon who had been near him. He twisted it in and grinned maniacally when the man choked on his own blood.

Chuckles found himself inching away from his boss discreetly. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself when the clown was maiming another man. Happy cleared his throat nervously and looked away when blood splattered onto his lips. He wasn't going to open his mouth and protest, he wanted to live another day. They watched in horror as the clown continued to slice the unlucky goon's neck.

The Joker started to cackle as the sound of his knife slashing away at flesh and bone reached his ears. An image of Monica yelling at him flashed through his mind briefly before he felt himself snap. He pictured it was her he was slicing away at instead of his goon. He wasn't going to have her yelling at him when he was one of Gotham's most feared criminals. The clown merely wondered why he hadn't killed her then and there. He shrugged the thought off, no matter; he would kill her sooner or later. Her death was the last thing he should be concerned about.

He growled in the back of his throat before driving the knife into the man's chest. The goon's body convulsed, barely alive, as the blade cut down his body. The Joker's vision blackened as blood sprayed onto his exposed teeth. By now the crimson liquid had drenched his coat and gloves, giving them an eerie gleam whenever they passed a street light. The metallic taste heightened his senses and shook away the feeling of sleep that had been bothering him before.

The goon that was driving glanced at his boss through the rearview mirror with a disturbed expression on his face. When the goon was beyond recognition, face slashed and torn, the Joker reached behind him and opened the back door to the Escalade. He saw no point in continuing when the man was dead. He wouldn't feel a thing anymore; there was no point in wasting his energy if the goon couldn't register pain. With a brief push of his hand the dead body fell out of the moving truck and landed harshly on the streets outside. He hummed in content; he would do the same to Monica once he was done using her.

The Joker smiled to himself and slammed the door shut with sadistic pleasure. He would enjoy himself greatly when it came time to finish the young tattoo artist. He brushed his hair back into place with a bloodied hand leaving behind a crimson trail on the side of his face. His goons were pressed up against one another in an attempt to keep themselves as far away as they possibly could from him.

The clown considered killing another just for the thrill of it. He somehow managed to restrain himself when his mind reminded him of the task at hand. The Joker motioned for Blade to sit next to him after a brief moment of silence.

The young goon hesitated, afraid of his boss's fury at the moment. He found his body moving despite his mind telling him to jump out of the truck while he still had the chance. His body froze next to the clown when he felt the man lean towards him. The blood on the seat he was sitting stiffly in stained his clothes and made him shudder.

Blade's breath hitched when he felt the blade pressed up against his cheek seconds after it was clicked open by the clown. Happy glanced nervously at the Joker when he saw his knife near the younger goon's lips. The clown's dark eyes never made contact with Blade's; they were directed at the goons behind him.

"Mention Bane again…and I'll gut all of you and leave your bodies out in the streets for all of Gotham to see," the clown whispered in Blade's ear. The rest of his goons heard the menacing tone he had used and flinched when they saw the clown drag his knife across Blade's cheek. The young goon forgot to breathe when the Joker wiped off the blood on the blade over his skin.

The goons around them sighed in relief when they noticed he hadn't carved Blade's face. In fact the Joker went out of his way to avoid cutting him and leaving a mark on his cheek. He wasn't going to have a doppelganger of himself running around. The Joker pulled away, content with the silence that he got in return from his men. He realized how long they were taking in getting to their destination. A sigh escaped through his scarred lips, waiting had never been his strong point.

"If I don't get there in the next minute you're next!" the joker barked warningly looking at the driver. The goon nodded nervously and increased the speed drastically looking at the clown through the mirror nervously. The psychopath turned away from his goon and clenched his fist in anticipation. He was going to take Bane down tonight, he had to. The masked man had become a problem that he could no longer ignore; he couldn't afford to have him interfering with his plans.

"Shit watch the road!" Happy yelled bracing himself when he saw the spike strip that had been thrown out to stop them. The Joker turned sharply and cursed the stupidity of his goons when he saw the trap. Of course Bane would be expecting them; he had been surprised they had made it that far without being ambushed. He wrapped an arm over the headrest of the seat in front of him to steady himself as the tires went out and the truck spun uncontrollably.

The rest of his goons grabbed whatever they could in desperation before the Escalade tipped over and flipped several times. The sound of breaking glass and metal being scraped on the pavement was the only thing that could be heard before the truck skid to a halt.

The occupants all crashed down onto the roof of the car upon finding it upside down. The Joker shook his head and tried to get air back into his lungs. The collision had certainly done a number on his body; he could feel blood trickling down the side of his head. A light laugh escaped through his lips, Bane sure knew how to greet his enemies.

He clawed at the pavement outside of the window and crawled out slowly despite the pain that was shooting through his body. His gloved hand grasped the shattered glass around him in his attempt to get out of the wrecked Escalade. Blood dripped down from his spilt lip and left behind a trail as he dragged himself away from the truck.

The clown flipped over onto his back once he was out and groaned when the familiar taste of blood filled his mouth. He turned his head and spit the foul liquid out with displeasure before hissing in pain. A shard of glass that dug into his upper arm was pulled out harshly after he got a good hold of it. He threw it aside and managed to sit up with a pitiful laugh. He was amazed that he was still breathing.

His hand reached up and wiped across his forehead before he brought it down and looked at it grimly. The white makeup had mixed with the red in his blood. The Joker braced himself before standing; his legs gave out as soon as he started to walk. He stumbled and fell over once more, he grit his teeth in irritation. Wave after wave of pain assaulted him.

Happy and Chuckles both managed to get out of the Escalade with minor injuries. They reached inside and managed to drag Blade's unconscious body out in order to get a better look at him. After making sure that he would live their attention was brought back to the clown a few feet away from them.

"Boss, are you ok?" Chuckles asked with worry once he saw the amount of blood that the clown had coughed up. The Joker's vision blurred for a brief moment as he stared down at the black pavement. His arms shook uncontrollably when a sudden chill settled over him. He had probably broken rib or two; with his luck it had punctured a lung. That would have explained the blood he kept coughing up.

"Peachy," the clown replied through clenched teeth. He attempted to stand once more but gave up when his body refused to move. Shuffling came from a nearby alley which he ignored completely. A pair of black boots appeared in front of him moments later.

"You're a hard man to locate," Bane's deep voice informed him. The Joker smiled despite himself and continued to stare down at the ground. The arms that had been supporting his weight gave away. Bane pulled the clown up by the collar of his shirt and held him in place to see the damage that he had sustained from the crash.

"You could have asked me to pull over nicely instead of ruining my car," the clown chuckled lowly. Blood continued to run down the side of his face and chin. Bane seemed oblivious to this; he continued to study the man in his hold intently.

Chuckles stood to help his boss only to find himself surrounded by Bane's men. He turned to look at Happy who remained next to Blade and noticed he was in a similar predicament. With guns pointed at them there was no way they were going to be able to help the clown a few feet away.

"How many times have you tried to kill me?" the masked man asked refusing to let go of the other out of pure hate. The Joker's eyes locked with Bane's for a brief moment before he smiled at him. His bloodied Cheshire smile mocked the other man and tried his patience.

"Too many to count," the Joker replied clicking his tongue. Bane ignored the clown and nodded briefly at his men. The Joker heard the familiar rustling of clothes and guns being raised before two thuds reached his ears. He resisted the urge to sigh; his men had been rendered unconscious by being hit with guns?

What was the world coming to?

"You're ruining the suit, sunshine," the clown snapped noticing the way Bane's hold increased on his clothes. The masked man returned his attention to the clown before resisting the urge to growl at him. The Joker was irritating to him, more than he had giving him credit for.

"Your blood has already 'ruined' it," Bane pointed out hearing the familiar sound of police sirens in the background. They had to leave soon; he didn't feel like dealing with Gotham's police force at the moment. The Joker merely spit the blood in his mouth onto Bane's vest.

"Now we're even," the clown pointed out with another cackle. The Joker took note when he noticed Bane's muscles tense with aggravation. To say that he wasn't enjoying himself would have been a lie. He took pride in the fact that he was able to unnerve the other man with such ease.

"Let's go," Bane snapped turning to look at his men. The clown in his hold sighed when he realized what he was about to do. Without a second through Bane pulled his hand back and clenched his fist. The blow that he delivered to the Joker's face was enough to render him unconscious and break his nose.

Bane merely threw the clown over his shoulder and walked over to the van that was waiting for him. He hurled the man in his hold onto the metal floor of the truck. The Joker's three surviving goons were tossed in after him rather unceremoniously.

The drive to Bane's current hideout was silent and uneventful. The masked man walked in with the Joker over his shoulder before he let him fall onto the floor beneath him. The small thud that followed didn't seem to faze Bane. He disregarded the blood that still oozed out of the other man as he wrapped chains around his ankles and slipped a hook onto them.

Bane merely stepped back and watched as his men hoisted the clown onto a hook before pulling him off of the ground. The masked man stepped away and headed back outside to carry out the rest of his plan. Having the Joker in one place came with an advantage, Bane knew exactly where he was.

The clown's body remained upside down, swinging back and forth slightly before stopping all together. A puddle of blood had accumulated beneath him by the time he started to stir. He opened his eyes in confusion once he noticed he was hanging from a hook in an unknown warehouse.

A soft groan escaped through his lips when his chest constricted in pain making it harder to breathe. One of his hands rested above his lower ribs in an attempt to soothe the pain. His eyes clenched in pain when he finally found the source. Three of his ribs were broken; one of them was particularly more painful than the others.

"You're pretty banged up, aren't you?" one of Bane's men commented when he noticed the clown had finally regained consciousness. The Joker turned to look at him with a murderous look in his eyes; he was in no mood to be mocked by a hired gunman.

He noticed his goons were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps Bane had killed them already, he wouldn't have been surprised. His mind didn't hesitate to point out that he wasn't getting out of his predicament any time soon unless he came up with a plan.

"Would you let me down from here?" he asked the man turning his body to look at him once more. The man looked at the clown with a blank expression. Of course he wasn't letting him down, what did he think he was, a fool?

"I bet you'd like that," he replied shaking his head at the psychopath. The Joker sighed and nodded in fake understanding.

"I guess I'll just, uh, use my knife to pick the lock," he informed the man reaching into his coat. The guard panicked instantly upon seeing this and motioned for the other to lower the clown. He thought they had searched him before hanging him on the hook.

The Joker had to hide the smile on his face as he felt the pair of idiots lowering his body. Of course they had stripped him of all of his knifes. He was amazed that the guards had fallen for his little act. As soon as he was able to he reached over and snapped the neck of the first guard. The other panicked and rose his gun to shoot the clown. His face paled when he noticed the Joker had taken the handgun from the fallen guard and had it aimed at his head.

"Nothing personal," the clown told him before he pulled the trigger. The shot rang out through the warehouse before the Joker shifted. He looked up at the lock around his ankles before aiming carefully. He shot it and laughed triumphantly when it gave away before it faded into a groan. His body crashed down onto the floor irritating the bruises and broken bones that he already had.

He hissed in agony and clutched his side while he grit his teeth. A smile spread through his face despite the obvious pain that he was in. He had never felt that alive, not even when ran into the Bat. He stood shakily still holding his side before tossing his green hair back with his bloodied hand. His neck cracked when he tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Now…where's the exit?" he asked himself while looking around. "Ah, there it is!" he exclaimed dramatically when he noticed the bright red sign above a door a few feet away. He shuffled over to it pausing from time to time to catch his breath.

He pushed the door open with difficulty before a bright light blinded him and guns were pointed at him. The droning of radios and car engines informed the clown that it was none other than Gotham's police force. He had to give Bane credit; he had thought this out well. The masked man had left him in a warehouse on purpose. He wanted the clown to be found by the police.

"You're under arrest," a police officer snarled walking over to him and slipping on the hand cuffs. The Joker grinned at the man finding something familiar about him.

"Have we met before?" the clown asked mockingly as he was hurled onto the hood of one of the police cars. The police officer seemed to want to inflict as much pain as he was allowed to. The Joker glanced back at him with apparent amusement.

"Dante, take it easy," another officer warned the man who held the clown. The Joker's eyes gleamed when he heard the name, it ran a bell. He couldn't place where he had heard it before.

"This bastard was the one who kidnapped my sister, don't tell me to take it easy," Dante snapped back. The Joker laughed when he heard the man, so that was where he knew him from. He wouldn't have guessed he was related to Monica. The two seemed to be complete opposites.

The flashes of red and blue lights around him did little to ease the clown. He sighed in irritation as another officer searched him. Not that it mattered; he didn't have anything on him due to Bane's previous inspection.

"Clean, that's odd," the man commented as Dante narrowed his eyes and peeled the clown off of the hood. He shoved him towards the back of a car and resisted the urge to kick him inside just because it would have been unprofessional of him. Truth be told, all he wanted to do was beat the clown to a bloody pulp. He held back for the sake of his title and his sister. He would have to inform her of the clown's capture later.

"Can I use my phone call?" The Joker asked turning to look at Dante, smiling from ear to ear. The police officer shuddered at the bloodied smile the clown was offering before noticing how beat up he truly was. Blood covered every inch of his vest and coat.

"I'll see to it that you don't get one," Dante replied slamming the door shut with disgust. The Joker chuckled despite himself when he noticed the young officer storm away. He was surprised he was related to Monica.

His thoughts were cut short when he noticed three of his goons being dragged out of the warehouse. So Bane hadn't killed them after all. They were all thrown into different cars much like him.

The Joker snapped his head up when another police officer entered the car and turned it on. The rumble of the engine soothed the clown for a brief moment.

"Are we going back to the police station?" the clown asked with pure glee, "Did you fix the hole in the wall that I blew up last time?"

The response that he got was the one that he had wanted to hear. For once everything was going according to plan; he had Bane to thank for that. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip in anticipation; Gotham would finally fall into chaos.

"You're going home," the police officer commented hoping to unnerve the psychopath with his answer, "You're going to Arkham Asylum."

**Review!**


	29. Calm Before the Storm

**Calm Before the Storm  
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**A/N: Ah, school messes up my mind my dears. I'm not sure about this chapter so bare with me until my muse returns. On a completely different note, I watched the Dark Knight Rises again the other day...Bane looks hot when he's hanging from the plane in his black shirt XD I just thought I should let you guys know! Although he doesn't compare to our clown prince of crime when he's hanging upside down from the cable at the end of teh move :D Anyway! Side notes:  
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**FoxGoddess2416: Indeed, moustache! **

**Smiele: It's not a long one sorry! I hope its not too bad though.**

**The Mourning Dragon: They'll start to happen, dont worry! :D**

**SuperheroAnimeGeek: I tried the whole TV show thing and it worked XD I have you to thank for that ;D**

**TheCleverGirl : XD It gets more dramatic from here on out.  
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**LaurenvBelladonna: It's horrible isnt it? Personally I hate waking up in the mornings D: **

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Thank you! :D**

**Random Person 94: Arkham :D**

**NathalieIyper: Thank you, my dear ;D**

**LivinJgrl123: Three broken ribs and a broken nose, I think it was rather painful XD poor Joker! :D**

**ZenyZootSuit: He gets harassed even more in this chapter, and thank you for the review! :D**

**fallenangelrocker91: Indeed, it does. -_- lmao**

**Cloudy Momochi: I fall asleep really fast when Im tired to XD like in ten seconds Im out for good! Hope you enjoy this chapter!  
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**messerpadfootforever: Thank you! :DD**

_She was scared of him._

_No. _

_Monica was horrified. _

_The Joker's mocking laughter echoed around her in the darkness. She looked around trying to find the source. Her hair whipped after every sharp turn of her head, her breathing became hectic. Then she heard it, the familiar scraping of his knife against a brick wall. _

_The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she looked around in fear. She knew it would come to this. She knew it and she had still stayed by his side when she should have run away, when she should have denied his requests and visits. Her mind didn't hesitate to remind her of all of the things that she was for letting it get so far. _

_Stupid. _

_Naïve._

_Blind. _

_His laugh seemed to grow closer; a shiver ran up her spine at the lower tone he was using. She could almost see him standing in front of her. His eyes gleaming with amusement, the very same eyes that could see right through her. She had never been able to hide anything from him. _

"_Laugh for me, doll," his voice chuckled making her close her eyes in regret. There was no getting out of this one. The familiar scent of blood and gunpowder filled her senses alerting her of his presence. She felt a body behind her, she didn't even have to turn and look. She knew who it was. _

"_Why?" she asked, the single word barely audible as it slipped through her lips. A cold blade was slipped over her throat and held in place by a gloved purple hand._

_Monica flinched back and cut herself in the process making the clown behind her scowl. She heard him tsk his disapproval before easing some of the pressure from the blade. _

"_You've done your job," his voice whispered in her ear. Monica glanced back and nearly wished she hadn't. She was met face to face with his pair of trademark scars. The one's she had longed to touch for so long with her hands. _

_As if sensing her sudden urge the Joker stepped back and dropped his smile. Monica found it difficult to control herself at the moment. She had probably gone mad; no normal person would have wanted to be so close to the clown in front of her. Yet, she longed for his presence; she wanted what no one else did. _

"_You're going to kill me, aren't you?" she asked, more to herself than him. She got no response from the purple clad clown staring back at her._

_Instead, his smile returned full force. _

_Monica clenched her teeth and held back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Not now, not when she had stayed strong throughout the whole ride. Despite her mind telling her to beg for mercy she rose her head at the clown defiantly baring her neck to him. _

_He seemed taken aback by the action for a few seconds, his grip faltered on the knife and he blinked in confusion. Monica stared at him briefly as if memorizing his face before closing her eyes and waiting for him to finish her. _

_Time seemed to freeze as she felt the air around her dance. A moment later a warm liquid cascaded down her neck and chest. Her eyes opened in shock and surprise, she could no longer speak. The Joker stood frozen in front of her, his bloodied knife held loosely by his side. _

_Monica glanced down; her crimson blood gleamed back mockingly. She choked on her own blood; a trail ran down the side of her mouth. She reached out weakly for the clown in front of her who seemed to be enjoying himself greatly. _

_He caught her as she fell forward, her legs no longer obeying her commands. She choked once more as she tried to speak. Her eyes filled with desperation as he held her and knelt next to her on the ground. One of her hands griped the clown's arm in fear while the other held on to his vest. Her whole body shook, a sudden chill running through her. _

_Even as she lay dying the clown still seemed to hold his smile, he even let a laugh escape through his scarred lips. He shushed her and caressed her hair mockingly while shaking his head. Her vision started to blur and her breathing slowed steadily. _

_She couldn't hold her tears back any longer. They streamed down her face and mixed with the blood that continued to flow from her slit neck. Both of her hands held on to his coat and refused to let go when he pulled her closer to him, his smile growing wider. _

_She could only make out the makeup that he wore; the rest of her vision had left her by then. Her body went limp in his hold and as she drew her last breath she heard him chuckle something in her ear. _

"_Go to sleep, beautiful." _

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Monica woke with a start and sat up in her bed with a loud gasp. Her hand instinctively flew up to her neck. Nothing but smooth, uncut skin lay beneath her fingers. A relieved sigh escaped through her lips as she sat still. She tried to calm her racing heart and looked out of the window in an attempt to steady herself.

Snow fell from the dark clouded sky and covered the Narrows in a sheet of white. Her hand brushed the empty side of her bed and she instantly pulled it back as if it had been on fire. She stared at the space with rage in her eyes and then at the pillow that remained next to her own.

Her once white pillow was smudged with black and red from his makeup. She had forgotten to remove the pillowcase when she fell asleep. Her foot kicked it off of the bed and a smile graced he lips when she heard the pleasing thud of it hitting the floor. The smell of it and her constant thoughts about the clown had probably triggered the nightmare she had just had.

She rose from the bed and kicked the pillow aside as she walked over to her bathroom. The blinding white light irritated her sensitive eyes. After a moment of them finally getting adjusted she sighed at the sight before her.

The same color scheme seemed to be following her around. He had smeared white, black, and red grease pain all over her mirror and sink. Her white towels were now stained with the green from his hair dye. Water splashed onto her face as she tried to calm herself from having a breakdown.

Her mind didn't seem to register the array of bloodied knives that rested beside her until it was too late. The hand that had been searching for a towel to dry herself with wrapped around one of them. A horrified scream tore through her lips as she threw it aside and heard it clamor into her bathtub.

"Kid, are you ok?" Grumpy asked barging through her door still half asleep. Monica turned to look at him in shock as he stumbled over to her. Her scream must have woken him up; she instantly regretted not being able to control herself better.

"I'm fine, sorry for waking you," she murmured stepping out of the bathroom with a disturbed look on her face. Grumpy looked over her shoulder and shook his head when he noticed why she had panicked. The pile of knives was surrounded with splatters of blood.

His weariness disappeared in mere seconds once he saw how distressed she was. He walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. Monica allowed herself to be led away from the bathroom.

"Sorry about that," Grumpy mumbled closing the door shut while she sat on the edge of her bed. The goon noticed how she avoided the side where his boss had probably slept in. Cleaning up after the clown had completely slipped his mind.

"I hate him," Monica whispered looking around and noticing the different piles of playing cards that rested on every surface. The Joker's personal knives and guns were also scattered throughout her room which unnerved her. It had only been three hours since she had last seen the clown and he somehow managed to irritate her without even being there.

"You learn to overlook this," Grumpy informed her twirling one of the blades in his hand. He set it down carefully making sure it looked exactly the same. The clown would know he moved it if he didn't do it right and there would be hell to pay.

"I don't think I ever will," Monica replied shivering and pulling her blanket closer. Grumpy sighed, of course she wouldn't. She wasn't mean for this type of life; he actually regretted dragging her into it.

"I'll tell you what, let's go get something to eat and we'll forget all about the clown for a while," he offered making Monica look up at him. She glanced at the clock on her nigh stand and laughed when she saw how late it was.

"It's three in the morning, where are we going to go?" she asked incredulously as he shook his head and smiled at her.

"Being a goon has its advantages," he replied smiling at her. Monica found her own lips tugging upwards at the mere thought of going out to eat at such a late hour.

"Give me a minute to change," she replied before Grumpy shook his head at her and held out his hand. Monica stared at him in confusion before he spoke once more.

"Screw it, let's go, darling." She glanced down at her black sweats and white tank top in dismay.

"But-" she started before she was interrupted by the goon once more.

"Live a little, who cares what we look like?" Grumpy laughed as she took his hand and allowed herself to be led out into the living room. Several goons stared at the pair as Monica slipped on her boots and jacket while Grumpy grabbed the car keys and attempted to tame his disheveled hair.

The pair left and hurried over to the Trans Am that was parked in front of the building. The doors slammed shut after them as they attempted to warm themselves up. Grumpy turned the car on and blasted the heater.

He pulled out and stepped on the gas making Monica gasp in surprise next to him. A rush of adrenaline ran through her when they skid around a corner.

"We should do this more often!" she laughed excitedly as they weaved through the lone cars that remained on the streets. Grumpy nodded next to her enjoying the fact that she had completely forgotten the previous incident with the knives.

They pulled up to a small bar in the heart of Gotham. Monica could tell that the inside was lit with warm dim lights which made her feel welcome. They stepped out and rushed in once more in a desperate attempt to get out of the cold air outside.

"Ah, I haven't seen you in a while, my friend!" a voice boomed as soon as they entered making Monica jump in surprise. Her eyes landed on a tall, muscular man. His grey eyes bore into her own as he noticed her standing behind Grumpy in a desperate attempt to shield herself. "Who's this?" the man asked, his voice gravely as his eyes ran up and down Monica's body.

"Don't even think about it, she's with Joker," Grumpy told the other man warningly. The man, who Monica assumed was the owner, immediately pulled back and avoided looking at her. She rose her brow in interest, the mere mention of the clown had caused him to back off. Something about that pleased her.

"What'll it be this time, then?" the owner asked turning away from them and heading over to the bar. Grumpy walked after him and motioned for Monica to follow. She walked behind him quietly and avoided looking at the people that stared after her.

"Just get me some coffee and a couple of donuts," Grumpy replied sitting down at the end of the bar. Monica took the seat next to him and ordered the same thing, she didn't feel like eating anything else when it was that late.

As they waited the pair watched with amusement as the bartender flipped through the channels trying to find something good to watch. Monica glanced around and noticed that there were plenty of rough looking men sitting at the tables and booths. She wondered if they were all linked to Gotham's criminals, they had to be.

As her eyes scanned the tattoos on their skin she started to notice the connections. Some of them had the familiar scribbled on black eyes and red smile, she knew they worked for the Joker. Others had a scythe and a syringe crossing over one another, she assumed that they were Scarecrow's men. The mask that others had on their arms had to be linked to Bane.

The tattoos on the others confused her. Some of them had green question marks on their hands and knuckles. The penguin that was on the forearms of the other men amused her and made her wonder about who they worked for.

There were also those with sniper rifles tattooed onto their necks, it was obvious that whomever paid them for liked to handle guns.

A large top hat with a note on the side caught her attention as well, it read: 'In this style 10/6'. She wondered if it was merely a reference to Alice in Wonderland or if it actually meant something else.

Scars in the shape of five tally marks decorated the arms on others. Monica winced, hadn't it hurt when they had gotten them done?

She found that the small leaf and flower that several women and men had on their wrist attracted her. It was a pretty design and had an earthy feel to it that pleased her. Perhaps a woman was their employer?

Monica registered the coffee and plate of donuts that was placed in front of her moments before she went back to her observations. The word 'Freeze' in sharp icicle looking letters sent a chill down her spine when she saw it on the back of several people's necks.

She turned away from the strange men in the bar and tapped Grumpy on the shoulder to ask him about all of the tattoos only to get interrupted by a gasp from the bartender.

"Oh shit," Grumpy exclaimed, his words muffled by the donut he was eating. Monica turned to look at the TV screen and instantly choked on the coffee that she had been sipping,

"Joker's being transferred to Arkham?" one of the men commented, the scars on his chest indicating who he worked for. "He won't last more than a minute."

A scoff was heard from across the room.

"He'll last, hell, he'll drive all of the doctors mad!" one of the women commented raising her glass of beer exposing the flower on her wrist. Several others agreed and rose their glasses as well, they all knew what was going to happen the moment the clown prince of crime stepped into Arkham.

The report on the screen startled Monica as she watched it intently. News reporters and cops surrounded the police station where the clown was currently being kept. She rose from the stool she had been sitting in and grabbed her coffee along with two donuts.

"We're leaving," she snapped looking at Grumpy who nodded back with a donut in his mouth. Much like her he too took his coffee and a couple donuts before rushing out of the door after her. The pair entered the car without speaking a word and drove over to the already crowded street that led to the police station.

Monica sighed when she looked out of the window and noticed how slow the traffic was moving. She grew irritated and ended up opening the door to the car before rushing out of it. Grumpy called after her in disbelief as she ran down the crowded sidewalk.

She needed to know if he was ok. How could he have gotten caught? He was the Joker! This wasn't supposed to happen, right? Her mind kept trying to reassure her despite all of her worrying, perhaps this was all part of his plan. Yes, that had to be it.

The mass of people surrounding the entrance parted as she pushed past several camera men and reporters. A glimpse of jet black hair and green eyes caused her to rush over to the figure while waving her hand.

"Dante, what happened?" she asked catching her brother's attention. He motioned for the guard to let her through the small barricade. They had set it up to prevent the clown from attempting anything such as taking any hostages and to keep the people at a safe distance from him.

"The Joker's been caught, we're moving him to Arkham," her brother informed her as she looked over his shoulder. She tried to hide her desperation when she didn't see the clown right away. A moment later, however, she heard the roar of the crowd around her. Flashes from all of the cameras surrounded her as the whole police force formed a barrier around a single person.

Her heart sank when she finally saw the Joker. Her brother wrapped an arm around her shoulders attempting to comfort her thinking that the mere sight of the clown had upset her.

Monica bit her bottom lip when she noticed the three pairs of cuffs that they had placed around his wrists. They had been tightened more than necessary and cut into his pale skin. The dried blood around them made Monica want to punch several of the guards around him.

She couldn't explain the concern that she felt towards the psychopath but at the moment she didn't want to think about it. The mere sight of him in bloodied clothes brought distraught tears to her eyes.

Despite the smile that he flashed at the guards and cameras she knew something was clearly wrong with him. The way that his gloved hand cradled his side made her wonder what had happened to him. It had only been three hours since she had last seen him. What could he have possibly done to end up in such a beat up state?

"He ran into Bane," Monica whispered in sudden realization. That was the only explanation she could come up with at the moment. Her brother turned to look at her as she covered her mouth in shock.

"What?" he asked in confusion as Monica shook her head and lowered her hand. She put on a face that showered disinterest towards the clown that was being escorted towards them.

"Nothing," she replied forcing herself to smile. The way the Joker's hair had been matted by his own blood made her wince and look away briefly. Her attention was brought back to him when a guard shoved him forward after a hesitant pause from the clown. Monica watched as he attempted to catch his breath. The guard that had pushed him forward repeated the action in order to get the Joker to move.

Monica watched the clown's lips dip downwards in pain before his smile returned and he rose his head mockingly at the people around him.

She held her breath as he passed by and suddenly turned his head in her direction. His eyes locked with her own as if he was trying to say something to her. He winked at her before chuckling to himself only to receive a punch to his stomach by one of the guards. The Joker doubled over in apparent pain which made Monica step forward with worry.

Her brother's grip tightened around her shoulders and held her in place. She watched as the guards hurled the clown onto the back of one of trucks. They slammed the door shut behind him and headed over to the rest of the cars in order to escort him.

"Now that I remember, Bruce called, you have a lot of explaining to do," Dante started making Monica flinch away from him. She spotted Grumpy amongst all of the reporters and shook her head warningly . The goon nodded back and stayed in place once he noticed the police officer that held her in place.

"I have to go, can we talk about this later?" Monica asked breaking away from her brother. He stared at her and was about to protest when a police officer called his name and ordered him to get into the truck. Dante cursed when he noticed that he was going to be the one driving the clown over to Arkham.

He threw Monica one last 'This isn't over' look before stepping away and entering the large vehicle. She watched as her brother left and headed over to Grumpy who made his way over to her not caring about who he shoved aside.

"What are we going to do?" Monica asked quietly as he led her out of the crowd who still hung around the police station putting their stories together. Grumpy turned to look at her and shook his head.

"The boss had this planned, there's no way he got caught on accident," he explained. Monica nodded in understanding as she pushed past several reports who ranted on about the story while broadcasting live.

"Dr. Harleen Quinzel shall be assessing this particular case," one of the reporters commented catching Monica's attention. She brushed the thought aside after realizing how insignificant it was. The Joker would probably break the woman as soon as they put him in a room with her.

"We have to get some supplies," Grumpy informed her once they reached the car. Monica nodded back and fell back onto the leather seat. She didn't like the feeling of peace that settled over her when Grumpy started to drive. Something kept telling her to worry, to celebrate that the clown was in an insane asylum, to deny any contact with him and his goons.

Monica couldn't believe how accustomed she had grown to the Joker and his men. She no longer felt threatened whenever she was around them, on the contrary, she felt safe whenever they were near. Her mind argued that she was starting to lose herself amongst all of the chaos that surrounded the clown. Monica pushed the thought aside, she didn't care anymore, not after all of the people that had betrayed her.

Her eyelids grew heavy as Grumpy stepped on the gas causing the car to lurch forward and race down the empty streets. The last thought she registered before she fell asleep was an image of the Joker being dragged over to the van. The wink he had given her remained burned in the back of her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had been trying to say something.

She fell into a deep slumber unaware that tomorrow would mark Gotham's downfall.

Unaware that the Joker would unleash chaos upon the city.

Unaware that tomorrow, nothing would ever be the same again.

**Review! We're almost there, don't make me pay 20 bucks! D:**


	30. What Have You Done Now?

**What Have You Done Now?**

**A/N: We reached 300! I wish I could write back to you guys but I haven't done my homework and I still have to take a shower. It's a miracle how I managed to finish this chapter up. I wish I could hug and give cookies to all of the readers who have been reviewing! You guys can imagine how thrilled I am every time you review! Anyway, with that said, enjoy my dears! I'll write back next time, I promise! **

"Darling, you're burning the bacon," Grumpy pointed out while yawning and stretching. Monica looked down and frowned when she saw that he was right. A sigh escaped through her lips as she took the pan off of the stove and tossed it in the kitchen sink. Several goons glanced at each other with worry when she took longer than usual in getting more bacon.

A curse escaped through her lips when she accidentally burned herself and dropped the plate she had been holding. Grumpy stood up from the kitchen stool he had been sitting on and helped her pick up the shattered pieces of the dish. Monica hissed when she cut herself on a sharp edged shard and stood up holding her bleeding palm. Grumpy shook his head and held her hand over the running water in the sink.

"Felix, you're in charge of breakfast," Grumpy ordered as the goon in question nodded and stood up from the dining room table.

"Oh, I can do it," Monica offered waving her unharmed hand at Felix who was already moving towards the refrigerator.

"The only thing you're going to be doing is sitting down before you kill us all," Grumpy mumbled wrapping gauze around the large cut. He forced her to sit down on the chair Felix had just left unoccupied. Monica was about to get up when he threw her a warning look, she merely sat down and cradled her hand.

"It's the boss, isn't it?" Felix asked tossing a piece of bacon up in the air with amusement. Monica's startled brown eyes drifted over to the goon after hearing him.

"Of course not," she lied twirling a fork in her hand nervously. Felix rose one of his brows in doubt at her before placing some bacon on her plate. She looked at the men around her and watched as they devoured their breakfast.

It seemed unnatural to be in the apartment without the Joker's laughter booming from one of the rooms. She didn't want to admit it but she was starting to miss the clown.

By the time Felix and Grumpy sat down in front of her she hadn't even touched her food.

"Let me guess, you're not hungry?" Felix asked glancing at Monica and then at the bacon and eggs on her plate. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably when several goons turned to look at her.

"No, I am," she mumbled stabbing a piece of bacon and forcing herself to eat it. Grumpy chuckled clearly unconvinced before glancing at the television in the living room.

They had kept it on since they had arrived late last night. The goons knew something was bound to happen before nightfall. Reports of the clown's capture were still at large although that wasn't what they were waiting to hear.

Monica sighed once more clearly stressed out about something. Her mind kept running wild with images of the clown. She could still see the blood splatters on his coat and vest, had that been his blood? Her eyes closed in an attempt to control herself. She didn't like the way she was feeling whenever the flashbacks of his cut wrists and his blood matted green hair surfaced in her mind.

Her eyes drifted to her phone which rested beside her and the screen that kept lighting up. Grumpy watched as she picked it up carefully and saw all of her missed calls and unread messages.

Monica frowned when she noticed that the majority were from Bruce and her brother. She didn't feel like talking to either of them any time soon. Not after what they had kept from her. She placed it on the table once more with the screen facing away from her.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Felix asked when the phone started to vibrate again. Monica glared at him before she glanced at the name on the screen and scoffed. She felt horrible for not answering whenever Bruce or Alfred called but whenever they did she was reminded of what they had kept from her.

"No," she snapped attacking another piece of bacon with her fork. Felix's eye twitched as he saw her jab the piece of meat. He kept his mouth shut for fear of having her stab him like she had done to her food.

Monica gave up and stood from her chair when it dawned on her that she wasn't hungry. The questioning glances that she got from Felix and Grumpy as she headed towards her room went unnoticed.

She had to jump over several men and ammunition boxes before she finally reached her destination. The overwhelming smell of gunpowder and makeup that had once bothered her and cost her several nights of sleep was now comforting. She sunk onto her bed and lay face down for a while merely enjoying her brief moment of peace and solitude. Her room had grown to be her only haven. It was the only place in her apartment where the other goons weren't allowed to enter.

Her eyes drifted over to the window and then to the locked door. She hadn't been allowed to leave the apartment due to the clown's orders. The fact that the window was open and it was only a small drop to the alley below seemed too good to be true.

Her body picked itself up from the bed and walked over to it quietly before she opened it all of the way. A gust of cold air met her head on as she stared down at the black pavement below. She glanced back at the door to make sure no one had heard her before she climbed outside onto the fire escape ladder.

Her lithe body slid down the ladder with ease and let go once she was at the bottom. Her body landed in a painful crouch as she looked up and waited for the goons to come rushing into her room and notice her absence. After a minute had passed and no commotion was started she straightened up and looked around carefully.

Her feather like footsteps echoed in the alley as she made her way towards the crowded streets. As soon as she stepped out and blended with the crowd she felt liberated and able to breathe again. She hated being caged in with no freedom whatsoever.

The faces that passed by in blurs did little to take away from the effect. Occasionally she would bump into someone and apologize before resuming her walk. She didn't know where she was going but it didn't seem to matter.

The setting sun behind her eased her mind and the harsh winter air breathed life into her once more. Her breath became visible as night started to cloak the city. The temperature dropped drastically causing the number of people in the streets to decrease.

Monica glanced around when she noticed she had arrived at the center of Gotham. She fixed her scarf and gloves before walking into the large park. Happy couples and kids throwing snowballs at each other surrounded her as she passed by quietly. She dropped her head and wrapped her jacket around her tightly when she noticed how happy everyone else seemed to be. They carried on with their lives without a care in the world.

On the other hand she had to worry about the murderous goons living in her apartment and the psychopathic clown that led them. She had to deal with her brother's constant questioning and overprotective figure glancing over her shoulder half of the time.

Her thoughts were cut short when she glanced down at her phone and noticed how late it was. She noticed she was receiving a call from Grumpy and was about to pick it up when her body collided with someone else.

The phone that she had been holding flew out of her hands and crashed onto the snow covered ground in front of her. She crouched to retrieve it and noticed that whomever she had bumped into had also dropped theirs.

"I'm so sorry-" she started grabbing the person's phone and rising to give it to them. The words died in her throat once she noticed who it was. Her face went pale as Bruce took back his phone and examined the cracked screen with disinterest. His eyes left the screen to look at the person who had made him drop it in the first place.

"Monica?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion as she avoided his gaze. She scolded herself, if she had stayed inside none of this would have happened. Her eyes blinked several times before she could finally form a coherent sentence.

"Bruce, what are you doing here?" she asked stepping away from him. Her now ruined phone was slipped into her back pocket since it would no longer turn on. She made a mental note to get another one.

"Cant a man walk on the streets without being questioned?" he asked her, carefully looking her over for new cuts or bruises. Upon seeing none his tense muscles relaxed briefly, at least she hadn't gotten into any trouble.

"There's always a reason behind everything you do, Bruce," Monica replied looking over his shoulder. She could already see people whispering and pointing at them. She looked around and noticed how quiet Gotham had grown. The eerie silence didn't sit well with her; nevertheless, she brushed it off and concentrated on the billionaire before her.

"I haven't seen you in a while," he murmured his eyes fixed on her reddened cheeks. They drifted down to her chapped lips for a brief moment. The brief kiss that they had shared still remained in the back of his mind. He wanted to step forward and take her into his arms again; he wanted to feel her up against him like before. But the thing he wanted the most was to capture her lips with his own, the burning sensation that she evoked in him hadn't worn off. He needed more of it, more of her.

"Do you have any idea how many death threats I've received because of you?" her voice snapped causing him to look up at her eyes once more. He tilted his head while pushing aside the thoughts of the woman in front of him and what he longed to do with her.

"Death threats?" Bruce asked, clearly confused. Monica sighed while brushing her hair back in annoyance.

"Honestly, your little fans were outraged when I 'left' you," she replied walking towards a nearby bench. She sat down on it comfortably followed by Bruce who kept a safe distance from her for fear of losing himself again to her. "Women in Gotham are mad, seriously, there are hundreds waiting for you to ask for their hand in marriage."

Bruce remained quiet as she explained everything that had happened since she had left. She kept the fact that she had the Joker living in her apartment to herself. Throughout the whole conversation the only thing the playboy could do was stare and admire the young tattoo artist.

"Bruce, are you in there?" she questioned waving a hand in front of his face. The billionaire blinked before looking at her and smiling.

"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked embarrassed at the fact that he hadn't been paying attention. Monica sighed and crossed one of her legs over the other before shivering at the cold air around them.

"I just wanted to know how Alfred was," she repeated, her frown increasing when she thought of how awful she had been treating the butler and his employer. Enough was enough, sure they had kept a secret from her but perhaps it had been for the best.

"He's fine, he's been asking for you," Bruce told her, "he wondered if you were ever going to return and visit us." Monica winced as she heard the billionaire's words. She turned to look at him on the bench and leaned her head against the hand that was resting on the backrest of the bench.

"I'm sorry," she started finally giving up and apologizing, "I overacted didn't I?" Bruce turned to look at her and shook his head. Of course she hadn't, in his opinion she had taken it quite well. Having the people you trust the most turn on you in one day would have broken anyone. He was amazed that their lie hadn't affected her more.

"No, it was understandable," he replied with a smile. Monica couldn't find it in herself to return the favor. Lately the only one who was able to make her grin from ear to ear and laugh until it hurt was the Joker. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that wasn't a good thing.

She opened her mouth about to reply when a loud explosion went off in front of them. Monica turned towards the source with a quick snap of her head and nearly fainted when she saw the sight. One of Gotham's most important buildings had a cloud of fire engulfing it. She could hear the shattering glass as the windows gave in.

"Oh my god," she choked, covering her mouth with one of her hands. Bruce couldn't tear his eyes away from the building that was beginning to emit smoke. Several sheets of paper drifted down from it and landed in the park.

"We have to go," he whispered to her rising from the bench expecting her to follow. He turned when he noticed she wasn't following him. Monica remained frozen on the bench; she had never seen anything like that in her life. She jumped out of her seat when another bomb went off in a building to their right.

She shook her head in denial as Bruce took her hand and pulled her away from the bench. Time seemed to go by in slow motion as embers and ashes fell around her and got caught in her hair. The once white snow turned into a muddy black mess beneath her feet.

"This isn't real, right?" she asked still in shock as Bruce led her through the crowd of people in the park. Several of them had taken out their phones to take pictures while others made frantic calls. Bruce glanced back and pulled her closer when he noticed how shaken she was.

Bruce by this time was only worried about the woman in his hold; he had to get her out of Gotham. He had a feeling things would only get worse. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number hurriedly before waiting for his butler to pick up.

Monica wrapped her arms around Bruce when several other bombs went off nearby. She tried to drown out the panicked screams and cries of the people around her. It was getting hard to keep herself in check; all she wanted to do was join those who were still frozen in place with tears in their eyes.

"What do you mean the bridges are down?" Bruce asked in disbelief as his butler informed him of the magnitude of the bombing. The playboy's vision went red when he realized who was behind everything. He only knew one person who was that skilled with bombs. His teeth grit dangerously when an image of the clown flashed through his mind.

He cursed when he realized that his capture a few hours ago had been planned. The Joker wanted to get caught and sent Arkham. Bruce's mind went blank when he finally understood the clown's plan. He had blown up the bridges to prevent anyone from leaving Gotham. Something about that sent a cold shiver down Bruce's back.

"You have to go," Monica told him pulling away suddenly. Bruce turned to look at her in alarm when he noticed her backing away from him.

"I'm not leaving you here," he told her reaching for her once more. She shook her head and stepped back even more.

"They need Batman right now, I don't want you to stay here with me," she told him as several people rushed past them. Amidst all of the smoke and ashes Bruce could make out her figure walking away from him. He wanted to run after her and ensure her safety before he went out as Batman. His mind, however, kept reminding him that the city was the most important thing right now, the lives of millions of people hung in the balance.

Monica turned away from the billionaire after making sure that he knew what he was supposed to do and ran towards her own home. Her shoulder rammed into several other people as she made her way through the crowd. She coughed when she passed through a cloud of smoke from one of the buildings.

"You're going the wrong way, girl!" one of the men pointed out when he passed her. She was heading towards the Narrows, at the moment that didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. Monica ignored the comment and used her sleeve to shield herself from the smoke.

Alarms started to go off around her. She coughed once more and stopped near a corner to catch her breath. Several people came out from their homes and headed towards their cars. Monica sighed when she realized it was useless, there was no escape.

She recovered her breath and turned the corner before her face collided with a wall. Groaning, she stepped back and looked up at the man she had run into. At first she thought it was the Joker, she was about to protest when she realized that the clown's coat was purple not green.

Her confused eyes scanned the question marks that littered the green dress coat in her view. A gold cane with a matching question mark caught her attention before a voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that, who's afraid of the big black bat?" the man questioned as Monica stepped out of his way. His green eyes followed her with apparent amusement as she went around him and continued on her way. She glanced back at him as he winked and twirled his cane happily at her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she rounded another corner and he disappeared from her sight.

Who was he supposed to be?

It wasn't until she passed by Arkham that she realized what the Joker had set loose. The main doors to the building had been blown down and inmates were still rushing out of it with glee. Her body hid in the shadows as she passed by the large building. So that had been his plan all along, to release everyone in Arkham.

Much to her dismay she ended up losing her balance on a patch of ice beneath her feet. She rubbed her head as her hands tried to steady her body, she had made sure to avoid stepping over the ice.

"Tonight, hell freezes over!" a mechanical voice boomed from her right. She turned her head to look at a man wearing a strange type of armor amongst all of the escaping criminals. The metallic plates that shined against the blue lighting in it seemed to emit cold air around the man. Monica shivered, as if having snow around wasn't enough. She turned away and managed to pick herself off of the ground. She needed to get away from Arkham. Staying there only increased her chances of getting killed, or in this case, being frozen to death.

By the time she reached her apartment she had to time when she crossed the street for fear of running into one of the many criminals that passed by. When she saw an opportunity she sprinted across the parking lot. She could hear other footsteps behind her. Glancing back she realized she had two men following her with orange jumpsuits that clearly labeled them as Arkham inmates.

She rushed up the stairs and continued to run down the hall. Her body collided with the wall when she made a turn towards the corridor where her apartment was. She recovered from the blow and shook her head before stumbling over to her door.

Her sore knuckles pounded on it desperately when she noticed the pair of men rounding the corner towards her. She knocked harder when they neared her, a desperate cry escaped through her lips when one of them grabbed her around her waist.

"No!" she cried kicking as the pulled her away from the door. Her body thrashed in their hold while images of what had happened to her before resurfaced in her mind. She didn't want to go through that again…not again.

"You boys got the wrong girl," Grumpy's voice growled moments before she was released. Her body crashed down to the ground before another pair of arms wrapped around her. She panicked but stopped as soon as she realized it was Felix. He ushered her towards the door and pushed her inside before closing it. She leaned against it in shock while her chest heaved and her heart pounded rapidly. Grumpy and Felix remained outside and by the mere sounds that could be heard through the door she knew they were beating the men to death.

The goons that were in her apartment seemed to be crowded around someone; Monica ignored them for the time being and headed towards her room. She closed her eyes once she was inside and leaned against the door. Her breathing steadied after a couple of minutes. She pushed herself off of the wall and headed towards her bathroom.

Before she could even wrap her hand around the doorknob a woman's shrill voice yelled at her to stop. Monica turned towards the doorway and tilted her head in confusion at the sight in front of her. A woman dressed in a black and red harlequin suit stood a few feet away from her with a startled expression on her makeup covered face.

"Who are you?" she asked in a high pitched voice. Monica flinched at the mere sound of her voice; she could already feel a headache surfacing.

"The owner of this apartment," Monica replied eyeing the woman with curiosity. The woman's painted black lips dipped down into a frown when she heard her reply. The black sleeved arm that was holding a bat clenched dangerously as the harlequin continued to look at Monica. She shut the door behind her and circled Monica with a look that she couldn't quite place.

"My puddin' doesn't want any intruders," the woman commented eyeing Monica from head to toe. Her blue eyes narrowed when she saw the 'J' that had been carved into her collarbone.

"Puddin?" Monica repeated, confused beyond belief as the harlequin advanced on her.

"You really shouldn't be here, I guess I'll just have to take care of ya'," the harlequin sang skipping over to Monica. The tattoo artist panicked as the other woman gracefully made her way over to her while twirling the bat.

"Honestly I don't know what you're talking about," Monica started, raising her hands in front of her while trying to reason with the harlequin.

"Bye-bye!" the woman exclaimed while laughing as she swung the bat at Monica. The harlequin squealed with joy as the bat connected with the intruder's face. Monica groaned as her vision dotted and her nose started to bleed, it was probably broken.

She went down on her knees while one hand tried to stop the throbbing that came from her head. She spit out blood that had accumulated in her mouth due to the cut she had made while biting down on her cheeks. Her split lip also stained the wooden floor below with crimson as the harlequin jumped over her body and reached for one of the Joker's knives.

"W-what the hell?" Monica managed to get out as she felt the woman's body looming over her own. She managed to register the cool knife that was placed over her throat seconds before she registered a searing pain. A pathetic groan escaped through her lips as she realized that she was about to die. Her blood ran cold when a flashback of her dream resurfaced in her mind. It hadn't been the Joker who had killed her; it had been a harlequin who was probably working for him.

Her vision went black but not before she saw her own blood cascading down from her slit neck. Monica's body collapsed on the ground in a puddle of her own blood as the harlequin jumped with childish glee and laughed.

"Hey boss-" Grumpy started, cleaning the blood off of his hands while he entered the room. His voice died in his throat as he saw Monica on the ground in front of the latest addition to their little group. "Harley, what the hell did you do?" he snarled at the harlequin. Her blue eyes widened in confusion seconds before she dropped the bloodied knife in her hands.

Grumpy rushed over to Monica's bloodied form on the ground while he called for the other goons to fetch him some supplies.

"She just came in, the boss didn't want anyone in here," Harley explained, the smile returning to her face as she justified her recent actions.

"Joker is going to kill you when he finds out what you did to her," Grumpy snapped turning Monica over while he held a hand over her bleeding neck. He ignored Harley's form watching over him while he felt for a pulse.

It was there, extremely faint but there.

"We have to get her to a hospital," he murmured, picking her up while Felix held some cloth over the wound trying desperately to stop the bleeding. They knew the chances of her surviving were extremely bleak, still, they had to try. There would be hell to pay if she died. Blood coated their clothes as they rushed out and left Harley standing in the room with confusion apparent in her eyes.

"No, no, no, no," Grumpy choked slapping Monica's pale cheek in horror once he noticed her slipping. They were close to the hospital, all she had to do was hold on a little longer. Felix held her cold hand in his own trying to feel for a pulse, he began to panic when he didn't feel one.

They should have known something like this would happen. Harley was extremely protective of the Joker. Seeing another woman in 'his' room had probably sent a pang of jealously through her causing her to lash out at Monica. It was too late now to think of what they should have done.

Grumpy practically sprinted towards the hospital when they pulled up to it. The doctors and nurses that took Monica from him all looked at him questioningly while they placed her on a hospital bed.

He looked at them as they tried to figure out if she was still alive. Felix and the rest of the goons caught up to him and stood next to Grumpy with worried expressions on their faces. What were they supposed to say to the Joker?

That they had let his puppet die?

That they had failed him?

They might as well ask for their own funerals.

A doctor with bloodstains on his white coat finally approached them while straightening his vest. The grim expression on his face didn't please the group of men that crowded around him. Grumpy stared at him expectantly while he ran his bloodied hands over his black jeans in nervousness. The doctor finally opened his mouth to inform them of her status, the two words that left his lips caused all of the men to pale considerably.

Joker wasn't going to be happy when he found out what Harley had done.

"She's dead."

**Review!**


	31. One Bad Day

**One Bad Day**

**A/N: Alright, I'm not so sure about this chapter. It's basically the Joker remembering things that have already passed and that he didnt want to remember. Italics are flashbacks so dont get confused my dears! Although I have a feeilng that I'll confuse several of you guys with this chapter just try to somewhat understand my dears -_- bare with me I have school and homework breathing down my neck. The dialogue from the flashbacks isnt mine though, come to think of it neither is the Joker or anyone in the Batman series...damn -_- I just had to state that ! :D Oh well, side notes: **

**shalmarrose: I didnt dont worry ;D**

**Dinosonthebrain:Indeed, he is amazing :D**

**Inkwriter101: Well, he kind of did lose it in this chapter if it makes you feel any better XD**

**Guest#: lmao I have no idea if you'll read this but Im glad you agree, you cant just throw someone at the Joker and expect him to fall in love right then ad there, honestly I think he'd kill her if that had happened XD**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Im a fan of Harley too though Im to sure about her role in this story, who knows, perhaps she'll be the villain. **

**Verenaaaa: Ah! I have someone reading from Germany! :DD Im so proud of myself at the moment XD I hope you like this chapter lmao**

**leyah: No its not weird and dont worry, Im hooked on the joker as well ;D**

**Guest#2: He reacted badly XD and he's not done taking revenge :D**

**AnonymouslyJoker: Many more :D**

**TheCleverGirl: Honestly, I love grumpy XD**

**ZenyZootSuit:Oh, he's not done flipping just yet, Gotham's gonna pay :D**

**messerpadfootforever : Nah, I wasnt serious XD**

**RosalieRowan" She really does need to get killed :D**

**BobSwag:Thank you! Here's the next chapter, and dont worry . I said hi to him for you ;D**

**England101: He's far from done killing people even after this chapter he's still gonna want revenge :D Oh, and there will be more Riddler moments XD**

**SnailsAndPuppyDogTails: Dont worry, I'll join you and help you kill her ;D**

**Cheekymonkey97: close ;D**

**allthelovers: I've never liked her too much to begin with either :D**

**EatingStarsAnDancingWithSire ns: Well here's the update! XD**

**Lily Mapleberry: Im glad that I got you to review XD Dont worry though, she cant be gone, like you said she's the main character! :D**

**LivinJgrl123: Dont worry, I didnt. XD And there'll be more Riddler scenes :D**

**LaurenvBelladonna: Well, here's the new chapter! :D**

Grumpy sighed and leaned back against one of the hospital chairs. He looked around discreetly and found that the rest of the goons were avoiding eye contact with each other. No one wanted to call the Joker to tell him that they had just lost his pawn.

The hospital itself was pure chaos. Endless streams of patients were being brought in through the double doors. The white floor was stained with drops of blood that mixed with the snow and dirt making the floor highly unstable and slippery.

The receptionists were too busy answering phones and retrieving files to notice the group of men that sulked around the entrance prolonging the inevitable.

"Who's gonna call Joker?" Felix asked, breaking the silence after what seemed several hours. Grumpy glanced at him briefly before a stream of bullets shattered the glass windows on the doors. The people inside all ducked and went down on their knees to avoid getting shot.

The glass on the grimy floor cracked as the person holding the gun entered still shooting at the people inside. Stacks of papers toppled over and fell to the ground once the receptionists saw who it was. One of them reached beneath the desk and pressed the panic button seconds before receiving a shot to the head.

Mothers held their children and tried to shield them as the clown's laughter reached their ears. The gun in his hand fired at whoever got in his way. His goons all pressed themselves up against the nearest wall in an attempt to get out of his firing range.

The Joker turned his attention over to them with a murderous glare and gave the trigger a quick tug. Several of his men fell to the ground choking on their own blood. Grumpy merely hissed when one of the bullets found its way into his arm. He glanced around and found Felix crouching with a bullet in his leg.

At least they were still alive.

"Where is she?" The Joker asked waving his gun at the remaining men.

The goons that stood behind the clown all pointed their guns at Grumpy and Felix urging them to answer. An irritated growl left the Joker's lips when his goons took their time in answering him. He rose the gun once more and shot at Felix with complete indifference.

"She's dead boss," Grumpy managed to answer seeing the bullet hit the other goon's chest. He wondered if Felix was still alive. He didn't dare to move and check, his life hung on a very thin threat at the moment. The last thing he wanted was to upset the Joker even more.

Grumpy wondered how the clown had even found out. Then again, they had left Harley behind. She had probably told him everything. He glanced over the Joker's shoulder and found another goon carrying her over his shoulder. Her blond hair clung to the side of her bloodied head and her makeup was a smeared mess.

"Do you really believe that?" the clown asked crouching in front of Grumpy, his smile widening to the point of it becoming painful. Grumpy glanced at his boss and shuddered while holding his bleeding arm. He nodded slowly before the clown shook his head and straightened himself up once more.

The Joker ran his tongue over his bottom lip before turning away from Grumpy and walking towards the door leading further into the hospital. He kicked it open in annoyance and made his way down the white hallway shooting at doctors and nurses that got in his way. They fell in front of him with dull thuds, horror apparent in their eyes and expressions.

He stepped over their dead bodies with a look of boredom on his face while glancing at the rooms that he passed. After the third hallway he picked up one of the clipboards that a nurse had been holding. His weary eyes swept through the lines and lines of names before he found the one he was looking for. Finally satisfied, he tossed it over his shoulder hitting one of his goons in the process before continuing on his way.

To say that he was angry was an extreme understatement. He was rather furious at his men for being so careless and at Harley for being so stupid. He had already taken care of Harley though; the bruises and broken bones were proof of that.

He was also quite annoyed with his squeeze; she was still too trusting of other people. The Joker was willing to bet on the fact that she had tried to reason with Harley. An extremely absurd and pathetic idea. The ex-psychologist couldn't be persuaded once she set her mind on something, especially if it involved him. The clown sighed quietly before turning a corner and running into a doctor.

"Not you," he heard the man mumble before the clown's hand gripped the trigger and pulled. Much to his dismay the gun clicked. The Joker snarled before reaching inside of his coat and clicking open one of his knives. He glanced at the doctor briefly before ramming his blade into his chest.

The nurses that had seen it all ran into the nearest rooms and slammed the doors shut.

"Where is she, Lu?" The Joker asked with a menacing tone. He knew this particular doctor by now. He had been the one to guide Monica through the procedure of removing a bullet from his body. The other man glared at the clown before coughing up blood.

"What do you want from her?" Lucifer questioned his vision blurring as he swayed in place. The Joker twisted his knife in further, enjoying the sound of cracking bones and severed flesh.

"She'll be, uh, leaving with me," the clown chuckled pulling the blade out suddenly. "I'll be back for the other one in a couple of days," he added referring to Harley. The Joker nodded to the goon who had been holding her. The man merely released her; Lucifer winced as her body hit the harsh floor.

He held on to the bleeding wound on his chest before grimacing at the woman's face. Her white makeup did little to hide the fact that she had nearly been beaten to death. Lucifer wondered if the clown in front of him was responsible for it. The Joker smiled which confirmed his suspicions.

The Joker merely stepped over them and nodded to his men. Doors started to get kicked down in the hallway and windows were smashed in as they searched. Lucifer watched in desperation as they got closer and closer to finding the room where Monica was.

He slipped on his own blood as he tried to sit up; at the moment what he needed to be worrying about was the cut that the clown had given him. If he didn't stop the bleeding soon he would end up dying.

The clown on the other hand started to go through every room stabbing the nurses that got in his way. His vest was drenched with even more blood and his gloves were far from their original purple color. A feeling of restlessness started to settle within him as time passed.

The feeling passed, however, as soon as he kicked down the last door in the hallway. He tilted his head at the sight and smiled with a twisted look of pleasure in his eyes. He walked over to the bed where Monica was and examined all of the needles that had been dug into her skin. So she wasn't dead after all. He had a feeling that she had survived, after all, Harley was pathetic when it came to wielding knives. She wouldn't have been able to apply enough pressure to sever anything vital.

He frowned slightly before he started to remove all of the needles and wires with harsh tugs. Machines started to beep all around him as he continued; the noise was beginning to kill his good mood. Growing tired of it he rammed his knife into the closest box that he could reach as the noise died down before stopping all together.

His gloves smeared blood onto her pale skin as he continued to unplug everything around her. Once he was done he paused and glanced at the bandage that had been wrapped around her neck.

Something within his mind seemed to snap, his smile instantly disappeared. His eyes became unfocused and distant, as if he wasn't looking at her at all. This seemed so familiar to him, the hospital, the machines, the bandages, the doctors.

He tried to remember where he had seen it before, he kept coming up blank. Something about it didn't sit well with the clown. It was as if he was reliving an event that he had already been through. He stepped back from the bed in slight fear as brief images flashed through his mind.

It had been so long since his mind had tried to recall who he was before he became insane. Flashbacks tried to surface in his head but he stubbornly shot them down. He didn't want to remember…he didn't want to. Somehow the image of Monica on a hospital bed seemed to jolt his memory and whatever fight he had been putting up with his mind was lost. Quick flashes of who he had been before appeared in front of him.

He didn't have his scarred smile back then…

He wasn't a murderer or a psychopath….

He didn't have any makeup on his face…

"J-joker?" a hoarse voice asked as his head snapped over to look at the woman on the bed. A splitting pain tore through his head. He rose his gloved hand to the side of his head and hissed quietly, so quietly that she didn't even hear as she attempted to sit up on the bed. His hunched over form concerned her enough for her to reach over and touch his arm.

He flinched as soon as he felt her feather-light touch. Monica pulled back when she saw this, he never flinched.

Not him.

He was the Joker.

There was something wrong with him and that worried her more that it should have. She completely forgot that she was in a hospital; she even ignored the burning sensation that came from the gash on her neck. All that mattered was the broken clown in front of her.

The Joker closed his eyes and reached blindly for the side of her bed. His gloved hand held on to the side of it and clenched the sheets desperately as he fought back the memories that plagued him.

"_All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy," the Joker commented while he circled Batman. The caped crusader kept his gaze on the clown and watched as he twirled the knife in his hands with glee. "That's how far the world is from where I am…just one bad day!" _

_His laughter erupted around the pair and filled the warehouse. It echoed off of the walls which intensified the volume of it. Batman merely shook his head, the man in front of him was truly mad. _

"Joker?" Monica asked once more scooting closer to his form. His eyes were still clenched shut, why was this happening to him now?

Why here?

Why with her?

"_You had a bad day once, am I right-ah?" the clown asked smiling eerily at Batman. The Joker stopped circling him and watched with intent as the dark knight remained still. He didn't move or give any indication that he had heard. _

"_I know I am, why else would you dress up as a flying rat?" He laughed again, his body hunched over as wave after wave of cackles left him. Batman was seething; he hated it when the clown tried to delve into his life. He hated it because the words that left his mouth were usually hauntingly familiar and true. _

"Joker?" Monica asked a little bit louder this time. The clown's breathing became uneven, his chest heaved as he tried to get in more air to his lungs. Why did her voice sound so distant? She was right next to him and yet she sounded like she was miles away.

"_You had a bad day…and it drove as crazy as everybody else," the Joker pointed out. Batman tried to get free of his bindings to no avail. The ropes around his wrists and ankles had been tightened too much. There was no way he was going to get free of them any time soon. He remained seated on the plain wooden chair where they had strapped him down on. His blue eyes followed the clown's every move, waiting for him to make the slightest mistake. _

"_Only you won't admit it, you have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there's some point to all of this, uh, struggling," the clown pointed out, his smile dropping slightly. He shrugged his shoulders at the dark knight and crouched in front of him. He traced the scars on the inside of his cheeks thoughtfully. _

"Boss?" Grumpy asked poking his head into the room as Monica shook her head at him. As relieved as he was to see her alive he understood what she meant. He nodded back and held in the urge to walk in and make sure she was ok. The rest of the goons got the picture and avoided going into the room. They kept themselves busy by scary away any doctors or nurses that wandered into the area.

"_I mean what is it with you?" the Joker thought out loud. He smacked the side of Batman's face slightly to emphasize his words. "What made you what you are?"_

_Batman merely stared back with a stoic gaze. There was no way he was going to stoop down to the clown's level and talk back. The last thing he wanted was to give the psychopath any information about his life. _

"_Girlfriend killed by the mob maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger?" the clown asked as he shook his head at the dark knight. No, those things sounded too simple. They wouldn't be enough to break the caped crusader. "Something like that I bet…something like that."_

"Hey, are you ok?" Monica asked reaching towards him once more. She could see his shoulders starting to shake. The grip that he had on the sheets at the foot of her bed increased. He was trying to shake something from his mind, that much she was sure of. But what? What could it possibly be to reduce him to this state?

"_Something like that happened to me, ya' know," the Joker continued. Batman actually rose his head at this. Here was his chance to find out more about the clown and his history. He had a feeling that all of those stories about his scars were false. "I'm not exactly sure what it was, sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another…" The Joker trailed off and turned his back to the dark knight. A brief flash of a woman from his past surfaced in his mind, he shot her down in his head as soon as he could. She was dead to him now and he was dead to her. If he had a chance he would slit her throat the moment he saw her again. _

"Joker?" Monica asked once more, shaking his shoulder slightly to get his attention. The clown bit the inside of his cheek to rid himself of the memory of the woman from his past. She was exactly like Monica. Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin…

No.

His mind immediately corrected him, apart from their looks they were nothing alike. His mind pointed out that he didn't need them; he didn't need any of them. The clown shrugged Monica's hand off harshly; he didn't need her concern either. The more he thought about it the more he found himself wishing he hadn't come to get her at the hospital. He should have merely sent his goons to fetch her. It would have saved him an unwanted trip down memory lane.

"_If I'm going to have a past I prefer it to be multiple choice!" the clown cackled turning to face Batman once more. His smile was back in place after he had managed to suppress unwanted flashbacks about his previous life. Batman sighed quietly, so much for learning about the clown. He was back to being the Joker that all of Gotham knew and feared. For a brief moment he had been about to say something though. The dark knight would have given anything to hear what had made the clown into who he was today. _

"_My point is, I went crazy, when I saw what a black awful joke the world was I lost it, I admit it!" the Joker laughed before he stopped suddenly. "Why can't you?" he asked stepping forward once more. He stood in front of Batman and frowned slightly. "I mean you're not unintelligent, you must see the, uh, reality of the situation." _

Grumpy poked his head over the doorway once more and felt his jaw drop when he saw what a mess his boss was. He was slumped over Monica's bed while one of his hands held his head in a desperate attempt to sooth the pain that was coursing through him.

He quickly resumed his task of patrolling the hallway before the Joker even noticed him. There would be hell to pay if the clown saw him at the moment. Monica merely concentrated on trying to soothe him. She ran her hand back and forth over his tense shoulders trying to get him to relax.

"_Do you know how many times we've come close to world war three over a flock of geese on a computer screen?" the clown asked stopping in front of Batman and tilting his head. He could already hear the sirens in the background growing closer._

_His fun was officially over._

"_Do you know what triggered the last world war? An argument over how many telegraph poles Germany owed its war department creditors! Telegraph poles!" His laughter filled the room once more as his goons glanced around nervously. They needed to get going if they were planning on avoiding the police. The warehouse would be surrounded in a matter of minutes. _

"_It's all a joke!" his voice hissed. Batman glanced up noticing the change in the clown's tone. His smile slowly dropped as he continued, "Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for…it's all a monstrous demented gag!" he snarled grabbing the dark knight by his cape. "So why can't you see the funny side?" he demanded shaking the caped crusader slightly. "Why aren't you laughing?" _

"_Because I've heard that joke before…and it wasn't funny the first time," Batman replied before head butting the clown. The Joker stumbled back holding his broken nose with childish glee. Much to his disappointment Batman broke free of his binding's seconds before the police kicked down the door. _

"_Gotta run, Bats." _

"Joker!" Monica snapped shaking him when she saw his hands trembling. The clown seemed to finally break free of his struggle and glanced up at her with wide eyes. His mind cleared and he found himself staring back at her with a confused expression on his face. How long had he been struggling with himself for?

Acting as if it had never happened he steadied himself and smiled weakly at her. Monica on the other hand wasn't too sure if he was ok. That had been the first time she had ever seen him lose himself that badly. She made a mental note to ask him about it later on when he was more stable and less likely to finish what Harley had started.

"Boss, we got company," Grumpy commented as police sirens wailed in the distance. The Joker nodded to his goon and turned to look at Monica.

"Well, beautiful, time to bust you out," he laughed trying to shake the feeling of dread that had settled over him. Monica nodded back not really sure why she was agreeing with him in the first place. He had been the reason she had ended up in the hospital in the first place.

Lucifer had even lied for her, he had told the goons she was dead in order to get rid of them. But that hadn't worked for the Joker. No one was dead in his world until he saw their corpse with his own two eyes. She was sort of grateful to him though, she didn't want to stay in the hospital for long.

"Wait, where is Lucifer?" she asked as the clown motioned for one of his goons to pick her up. The Joker merely ignored her question. He wasn't about to tell her that he had stabbed Lucifer and that he was bleeding out in one of the many locked rooms.

"He took the day off," Monica heard the Joker comment with a smile. She shook her head at him and scratched the goon that had reached over to pick her up. Day off or not, she wasn't leaving until she saw Lucifer and made sure he was alright.

"I'm not leaving without seeing him," Monica growled warningly despite the pain that she got from talking. It was rather difficult to make any sort of noise with her throat so vulnerable.

"Sorry, doll," the Joker chuckled reaching over to her while dogging her weak punches and kicks. "It wasn't a question." Monica sighed in irritation as the clown swung her over his shoulder and walked towards the door. He smacked her head on the doorway on purpose on the way out causing her to groan and lose her will to struggle against him.

"That's not funny," she mumbled, stirring his memories once more before she passed out in his hold. The clown merely rolled his eyes and headed towards the exit at the end of the hall just as Batman and the police force showed up on the opposite end.

"Make sure we aren't followed," the clown ordered before kicking the door open. He stepped outside into the cold night air as the door closed slowly behind him. Gunshots started to go off behind him as he tossed Monica into one of the black vans and stepped in after her.

Grumpy glanced back at her from the passenger's seat before nodding at the driver who merely nodded and pulled out of the parking lot.

They managed to get away undetected due to the goons who stayed behind to distract the cops and the dark knight. Grumpy had a feeling that the Joker was up to something though.

After all, the night was still young.

**Review!**


	32. Don't Make Me Wait

**Don't Make Me Wait**

**A/N: Honestly, I dont know how I managed to write this chapter up my dears. I've been so stressed out with school that I find myself amazed at the fact that I found time to write. I apologize ahead of time if it isnt good enough, the next should be much better. I'm sorry for not replying to you guys in this chapter, Im practically falling asleep over my computer at the moment but I'll try to acknowledge those who reviewed and made me want to write I promise I'll write back to you guys for the next chapter: **

**The Amethyst Eyes, Courtney Gears, leyah, LaurenvBelladonna, SuperheroAnimeGeek, RosalieRowan, Cheekymonkey97, Erik-is-my-angel1234 , Random Person 94, BobSwag, LivinJgrl123, TheCleverGirl, lynnieloo25, Guest, and ZenyZootSuit**

Monica shivered as cold air rushed around her. She sank further into the comforter that had been placed over her. Her pale hands clutched on to the pillow beside her for dear life. She woke after another gust of wind hit her exposed face. Brown eyes scanned the dark room in confusion, how had she gotten there? The last thing she recalled had been the hospital and its white corridors.

A lone figure rested on the couch a few feet away from the bed where she had woken up on. Her feet touched the cold ground beneath her silently as she rose from the bed. Steadying herself on the wall beside her she made her way towards the couch cautiously.

She froze when she realized who it was. The clown shifted on the couch towards her while his arm hung over the edge carelessly. It suddenly hit her, he was asleep. Curiosity got the better of her, she found herself walking towards him once more.

The Joker merely shifted once more and draped an arm across his stomach lazily. Monica glanced around and noticed that she was back at her apartment. The events that had gotten her there came rushing back. The psychopath on her couch had busted her out of the hospital and brought her back.

Her hand traveled up to the bandages around her neck when the burning sensation returned. Rage seethed within her once she recalled who had been responsible for everything. It melted away, however, when the fact that it would leave behind a scar dawned on her. Her legs gave away beneath her and she collapsed onto the ground beneath her.

The Joker cracked open one eye slowly when he heard a dull thud next to him. So much for getting an hour of sleep. His interest peaked when he saw Monica's broken form next to him. Sniffling reached his ears after a moment of silence.

Monica wrapped an arm around her neck and squeezed in desperation. She had enough scars already, the last thing she needed was one more. The one on her neck disturbed her the most; it would be next to impossible to hide it.

What was she supposed to tell her brother?

What excuse would she tell Bruce and Alfred?

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried silently. She didn't know how much more she could take. Half of the time she felt like breaking down and shunning the world around her.

'_You're pathetic,' _her mind scolded harshly. The word echoed through her thoughts hauntingly. Sobbing, she reached blindly for the couch in order to support herself.

The Joker flinched when he felt her hand wrap around his arm. She didn't seem to notice and continued to ignore him, for all she knew he was still sleeping.

'_You're weak,' _Monica's mind snapped. She shook her head hopelessly; her will to fight was gone. Inside she was decaying; she no longer cared what happened to her. Why should she? She was scarred permanently on the outside.

The clown turned his head to look at her blankly. His eyes showed no emotion, even his usual smile failed to grace his lips. He didn't make a move to comfort her, instead he kept silent and watched her have her break down.

'_Why are you still alive?'_ her own mind growled. Her bloodshot eyes snapped open when she heard her own thoughts. Maybe she was right; maybe she didn't deserve to be there anymore.

'_Filthy whore,' _her voice echoed. The images of the night that she had been raped resurfaced in her mind. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she continued to lose the battle against the voice inside of her head. She was starting to believe what it whispered to her. The venomous words that it spoke began to sink in as the truth.

Monica dropped her head and uttered a soft cry, what was she becoming? No one in their right mind would want her now. She was tainted and broken a shell of her former self.

"It'll never heal if you keep doing that, beautiful," the clown's voice commented. His brown eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched her shaking form. The hand that had been gripping the bandages dropped lifelessly beside Monica.

The Joker's smile dropped when he saw this. His body sat up on the couch while she ignored him and continued to look down at the ground. He reached inside of his coat and pulled out his favorite blade before clicking it open. Even then he got no reaction; he was starting to grow somewhat concerned over her sanity.

"Ya' think you have it bad?" the clown questioned, his blade hovering over her cheek. Monica rose her head to look at him then. The Joker shifted uncomfortably on the couch when he saw how hopeless she looked. Her eyes pleaded silently with him as her head leaned into the blade. The cool surface against her cheek was the only thing that mattered at the moment. She would feel content if she could somehow manage to get him to kill her.

"What would you know?" her gravelly voice questioned. She noticed how his eyes narrowed dangerously when he heard her question.

Good.

The more irritated she managed to get him the higher her chances were at having him kill her. The Joker on the other hand felt his blood boil. He was well aware of what she was going through and what her mind was whispering to her. He had been there and back.

Monica flinched when he grabbed her wrist harshly and tugged her arm upwards. Her whole body flew forwards at crashed into the couch between his legs. She was about to protest but stopped when she felt his makeup covered skin beneath her fingers.

Her eyes shot over to look at him while her whole body froze in pure shock. The Joker merely glared back at her and held her hand in place. Monica's breathe halted when she realized that she was touching his scarred smile.

"I've had it worse, doll," he snarled at her before releasing her wrist. Monica didn't pull back, much to the clown's surprise. He tensed when he felt her hand brush over the harsh ridges and bumps of the scar on his left cheek.

Her eyes met his briefly before she returned them to his cheek. It seemed surreal to her, the fact that she was able to touch his trademark smile without having her hand cut off. She was expecting him to lash out at her. Silence was the only thing she got from the clown.

Feeling more confident she rose her free hand slowly towards the other side of his face.

She made sure he knew what she was doing before she actually allowed herself to lower her hand on his other scar. The Joker remained completely still, his eyes unfocused. The feeling of her hands on his scars was unearthly to him. No one had ever dared to come near him much less touch him. He forgot himself for a brief moment and closed his eyes. Having her soft and cool fingers graze over his skin seemed to soothe him for a moment. The grip on his knife lessened to the point of it dropping out of his hold.

It clambered onto the ground between them loudly. The Joker's eyes snapped open when the sound reached his ears. Monica's brow furrowed when she saw the differences between the scars. The right one was smooth while the left was a complete mess of sharp lines and curves.

"It's all a lie, isn't it?" she whispered to him unaware of her close proximity to the criminal in front of her. His brown eyes shot over to look at her demandingly once he heard her. "You never got them at the circus or your father," Monica's voice commented. The Joker stared back at her and clenched his jaw.

"What makes you think that?" his voice asked. Monica could feel his chest rumble as he spoke, his tone lower than usual. Even then she refused to take her hands off of the scars.

"One of them is smooth, it was probably done in one cut," she explained tracing the scar to emphasize her point. A shiver ran up the clown's spine as her fingers danced over the makeup covered surface. He had to give it to her; she was good at making observations.

"The other is a mess of jagged cuts, it took several tries to finish it," she continued drawing closer to him as if examining the cuts further. The clown stared back with an unreadable expression on his face when he realized that she had just figured out the flaws in his stories. His mind screeched to a halt, however, when her fingers traced over the lone scar on his lips.

"How did you get them?" she asked. Monica knew he would probably never tell her, a part of her stubbornly held on to the hope that he would. The Joker, however, pulled back upon hearing her and wrapped a hand around her neck with a snarl.

He had dropped his defenses for a few minutes, that didn't mean he was going to tell her his life story. Monica instantly choked and hissed when he irritated the large gash beneath the gauze that remained around her neck. She saw his eyes cloud over with rage once while his usual sadistic smile returned to his lips.

She had managed to push all of his buttons correctly. With any luck he would just snap her neck and end her suffering then and there.

"I know what you were doing, doll," the clown laughed shaking his head. Had she really thought he was that stupid? He could see right through her, her little games had little to no effect on him. "I'm not gonna kill you…yet," he whispered drawing closer to her. Monica stared back with desperation in her eyes, her plan had failed.

"I'll do it myself then," she hissed at him glancing at the knife between them. Before she even had a chance to reach for it the clown had already kicked it away from her with a low chuckle. Tears of rage escaped from her eyes as she stared at him with hate written all over her features.

The Joker stared back with amusement while grinning like a Cheshire cat making her want to reach out and choke him.

"What gave you the right to keep me alive? I should be dead!" she cried. Her chest rose up and down rapidly as she tried to get more air into her lungs. The Joker stopped laughing at how pathetic she was and looked at her seriously for a brief moment. Did she really want to die that badly?

Red stained her face as she wiped away her tears with her make up covered hand. The Joker's grip on her throat eased when he remembered the cut underneath the bandages. She was no good to him dead.

He rose from the couch without another word and headed towards the door. Distancing himself from her was the thing he needed the most at the moment. Allowing her to touch his scars had crossed the line already. Monica followed his figure as he crouched and retrieved his knife slowly making sure she saw him put it back in his coat.

"Sleep well, beautiful," he laughed before slamming the door shut behind him. Monica cursed loudly and punched the ground beneath her in a fit of rage. Why was it that nothing ever went right for her? What had she done to deserve all of this? All she wanted was to start a new life in Gotham. Was that too much to ask for?

All of her questions were cut short when her phone vibrated on the nightstand beside her bed. Picking herself up with much difficulty she staggered over to it tiredly. Her eyes didn't even register the name on the screen; she merely answered and held it to her ear.

She hadn't been expecting to hear his voice again, nor had she been expecting to hear what he told her before hanging up. Her world came crashing down around her as the phone slipped out of her grasp and crashed onto the wooden floor beneath her.

Judas' word echoed in her mind as she looked around desperately for a way to get out without alerting the goons outside of her door. She couldn't have the Joker noticing her absence after she left what if he followed after her?

"Fuck it," she growled to herself ramming her elbow into the glass window and climbing out while the shards fell around her. The door to her room opened and goons rushed in only to find her gone.

Monica ran out of the alley and avoided them before slipping into a cab and ordering the driver to drive towards her old house. The last thing on her mind was the Joker and his men, the only thing that she could think of was Judas and the call he had made moments ago.

His voice still rang through her head; she could practically hear him saying it again.

"_We've got your brother, if you want to see him alive you'll come home…you have ten minutes. Oh, and baby? Don't make me wait." _

_**Review! ;D No, seriously, it's the only thing that keeps me going at the moment -_-'**  
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	33. From Jekyll to Hyde

**From Jekyll to Hyde **

**A/N: Well I think I did better on this chapter than the last although I can't be too sure since I wrote it at three in the morning o.O forgive me if there are typos I didn't have time to go back and read it again although I'll do it as soon as I take a nap and eat some food. Thank you to all of those who have been reviewing, you guys are the only reason I keep writing, you inspire me! :D Side notes: **

**Random Person 94: Sadly I don't think she'll be making an appearance, sorry! D: **

**The Mourning Dragon: Here's a chapter for your case of the munchies :D **

**Guest: Thank you! Here's another chapter that just helps us move on with the plot ;D **

**Cloudy Momochi: Ah, I love cliffhangers dont you? Well, here's the next chappie :)**

**BobSwag : I've started to make them grow closer to eachother Im glad you noticed the bonding session! :D And yes, Judas is an ass, I think after this chapter you'll hate him even more XD**

**Smiele: Suspense is my specialty :D **

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Shot but bittersweet, here's the next chappie! **

**RosalieRowan: School is a pain -_- but thank you! I hope you enjoy the update ;D**

**ZenyZootSuit : They're relationship is rather strange and difficult to understand isnt it? I'm not the only one who noticed this as I was writing it XD**

**katielouise10x: Glad you liked it, it was rather difficult to write especially with writer's block -_-' **

**ThePhantomismyLove: Here's the new update :D**

**LaurenvBelladonna: You got the meaning of the last chappie :D It makes me feel like I accomplished something even if I did a horrible job at it :DDD**

**TheCleverGirl: They're growing closer after several chapters XD And I try to keep it as real as I possibly can although at times I feel like I'm slipping, this chapter is proof of it so let me know if it was bad :D**

Smoke from the burning houses around Monica surrounded her. Her eyes struggled to see through the black clouds that swirled in front of her and blocked the view of her house. With one outstretched hand she carefully made her way to the entrance.

The front door had been kicked in and lay on the grimy wooden floor. All of the family pictures lay shattered on the ground. She grimaced when she saw a trail of blood leading towards the living room. Praying that it didn't belong to her brother she followed it with a morbid expression on her face.

Her feet seemed to drag behind her as she carefully stepped through the threshold and froze. Amused green eyes and flashing orange hair greeted her cheerfully while she paled and frowned.

"Have we met before?" the man asked twirling his golden cane in his green gloved hand. Monica ran her eyes over the question marks that littered his suit once before remembering him. She had run into him the night Arkham Asylum had been blown down.

"Where is my brother?" she asked narrowing her eyes carefully at him. The man laughed and shook his head before waving at an unknown person. Monica gasped as Judas stepped into the room dragging her brother along by the neck.

Dante collapsed on the ground in front of his sister with a defeated groan. They had almost beaten him to death, that much she could guarantee. She immediately crouched and turned him over while running her hands over his bloodied face in apparent panic. Hate started to blind her as she looked up at Judas and the rest of the men who had entered the living room. She counted seven of them; there was no way she would be able to take them.

"Stubborn one, he wouldn't tell us where you were," Judas commented with a grin on his blood splattered face. Monica didn't move from her brother's side despite Judas' apparent attempts at provoking her. Instead, she caressed Dante's cut cheek carefully trying to hold back the tears that threatened to escape from her eyes.

"What do you want?" Monica asked pulling her brother to her when several men moved forward to take him from her. By the way she felt him tense she could only guess that he had several broken ribs and bruises.

"Joker," the man standing next to Judas replied. Monica turned her piercing look to him as he fixed his fedora calculatedly. They stared each other down briefly before she looked down at her brother once more. He was having trouble with breathing and the blood that he kept coughing up was starting to concern her. She needed to get him to a doctor, the sooner the better.

"I don't know where he is," Monica snapped closing her eyes in a desperate attempt to keep her temper in check. Judas turned to look at the man next to him who in turn nodded back at him. With a snap of his fingers the men surrounding Monica moved forward and proceeded to take Dante away from her.

"No!" she screamed as they tore her away from her brother. She clawed at them animalistically and punched as hard as she could. Despite her struggled they dragged Dante away leaving behind another trail of blood.

Rage started to course through her as she turned towards the man she had closest to her and bit down on his arm. He yelped as her teeth sunk in and tore at his skin. Her mouth was filled with blood within seconds as the group released her briefly.

Having a brief moment of freedom came as a blessing to her. She rushed forward in the direction that they had dragged Dante away before Judas hooked one arm around her. He pulled her back towards him before receiving a head butt from her.

Groaning, he released her reluctantly and reached up to his bleeding nose. Before Monica could get any further the man next to him swung his cane after her and managed to hook it around one of her feet. Her body went crashing forwards before colliding with the hard floor beneath her.

"You're in quite a rush, dear," he commented composing himself before crouching next to her. With whatever strength she had left she spit out the blood in her mouth on his face.

"It's no use, she won't rat him out," Judas murmured wiping the blood from his lips while sneering at her. Monica looked up at him and wondered how it had gotten to this point. How could she have let it escalate so out of control?

"We shall see about that, I'll have to break her myself," the man commented rising while gritting his teeth in rage. The blood on his face was wiped away with his sleeve before he nodded to one of his men and stepped away.

"Riddler-" Judas started but was soon cut off.

"You wanted to find the Joker did you not?" the Riddler snapped fussing once his stained jacket. "You came to me, you agreed to follow through with anything that I had planned," he added reminding Judas of what he had gotten himself into.

Dante stared hopelessly at his sister as two of the Riddler's men forced him to watch from the doorway. He would kill all of the men in the room if he had a chance.

"Talk, that is all I ask of you," the Riddler offered once more as Monica glared up at him and attempted to snatch his cane away. She wasn't going to be weak anymore, she wasn't going to give in as she had done in the past.

With an annoyed sigh the Riddler nodded to his men who in turn held her up while one of them proceeded to slip on a spiked brass knuckle. He clenched his hand in front of Monica's face in a last attempt to get her to talk. She laughed before struggling against the pair who held her in place. Pleading was no longer an option, she would not give them the pleasure of hearing her beg.

Not anymore.

Dante cringed when the first blow was delivered to the side of her face. He could already see blood trickling down from her split lip. He turned his accusing gaze to Judas who tried to avoid him while closing his eyes.

"Is this what you wanted?" Dante questioned turning all of his attention to Judas who in turn refused to acknowledge him. Guilt was eating away at the biker in the room, he couldn't stand the sight of her being beat over something he had caused. He loved her, why was he hurting her when he loved her?

"Stop," the Riddler ordered when he noticed her glancing at her brother. Monica froze when she realized the mistake she had just made. She cursed herself when the hired gun stopped in mid swing and turned his attention onto Dante.

Judas opened his eyes and glanced nervously at her before turning to look at her brother. Perhaps this was all a bad idea, perhaps he had taken it too far.

"Once more, where is the Joker?" the Riddler asked. Monica turned to look at her brother and found him shaking his head at her. This shocked her, why was he ordering her not to tell on the clown? Didn't he want to catch him as well?

Nevertheless, she went with his decision and turned to look at the man in front of her.

"I don't know," she growled before she watched the Riddler pull out a gun from the inside of his coat. Her blood ran cold the moment he went from pointing it at her to her brother. Dante merely stared up at him with an unfazed look as if he had been expecting it all along.

Monica jumped when the shot rang through the house. Her mouth hung open as her unshed tears streamed down her cheeks. The world around her stopped in that brief moment of pure and utter horror. Blood seeped through her brother's shirt where he had been shot.

The men that had been holding her released her and shoved her forward. She ran to her brother's side and collapsed next to him trying to stop the bleeding even though she knew it was useless. Judas stared at the pair in shock before he turned away.

He watched as the Riddler turned away from his men and him with an indifferent look on his face. Police sirens could already be heard in the distance, they all needed to get away. Getting caught was not an option at the time and having a shoot out was out of the question, they were running low on ammo at the time.

"We're leaving, burn it down," he ordered while heading towards the door, they couldn't leave behind any evidence. Monica didn't even look up to acknowledge him as he left. Judas followed after the Riddler knowing there was nothing left for him there. They had taken care of Dante, that had been their priority. Cops were already on the way they couldn't afford to question Monica any longer for information on the clown. That would have to be resolved some other time. It pained him to have to leave her in that state, his only comfort was the assurance that he would see her again in the future.

"You h-have to bring them b-back," Dante whispered running a bloodied hand through Monica's hair. She stared back hopelessly knowing she was losing him. There was nothing she could do to save him, he had already lost much blood. She didn't bother in going after Judas or the Riddler, they would pay later. The only thing that mattered to her was brother.

The smell of gasoline being poured in the hall seemed to bring her back from her dazed state if only for a few moments.

"Who?" she asked softly. Her time was running out and so was his. The last thing she wanted to do was leave him.

"The gang…the Bastards," Dante answered before grimacing and glancing down at the bullet wound on his chest. He had never planned on dying like this. Not in front of his sister, she had already gone through enough already.

"The Bastards?" Monica repeated in horror. Bringing back her father's men wasn't even an option in her mind. They were far too dangerous and unpredictable for Gotham, that had been the main reason she had undone the biker gang when she had been put in charge.

"Gotham won't be safe anymore, you'll need them," Dante hissed trying to keep his eyes open. Monica shook her head in denial. As much as she wanted to admit that he was right a part of her didn't want to go back to order a gang of bikers around.

"Why them, why now?" she asked, her voice cracking at the end when she noticed Dante fading.

"Joker, Bane, Scarecrow, they all have to be taken down…you have to take them down, the men are already in the city," he explained. Monica didn't even want to hear his reasoning anymore, he was mad. There was no way she could take down Gotham's most wanted criminals, even with the help of a gang of bikers.

"What about the Riddler?" she asked snarling the man's name viciously. He would pay for taking her brother from her, that much she was sure of. She didn't care if she died in the process, she would make him pay for what he had taken from her.

"Don't let hate consume you, remember what it did to Father," Dante warned her before coughing up blood. Monica panicked and held him in her arms before she heard a match being lit.

Her heart skipped a beat when her brother went limp in her arms. Her eyes unfocused for a moment as she refused to believe what had just happened. He was no longer breathing and his eyes remained closed. Her only brother had just died in her arms and she hadn't been able to save him.

"Dante?" she cried shaking him in horror. Nothing but silence surrounded her before flames rose up in the hallway. She ignored them for the time being, it didn't matter as much as the fact that she had just lost her last family member.

It was like de-ja-vu all over again. She had been holding her father and mother after they had gotten gunned down in their own bar. The blood on her hands would never wash off now.

"Wake up! Please wake up!" she cried desperately. She couldn't lose him now, not now. Her throat felt constricted, her hands shook as she tried to get him to open his eyes to say that everything would be alright. He didn't move or shift, he remained as still as a corpse.

'_He is a corpse,' _her mind commented as she fell back and held her head before sobbing uncontrollably. What would she do now? Go after the Riddler on her own? What of the Joker and Gotham's remaining criminals?

So many questions ran through her head, it was almost impossible to keep track of them. The warmth of the fire that drew closer to where she was snapped her out of her thoughts. She needed to act quickly if she was going to do anything to avenge her brother. His death would have to be mourned later when she was alone not now.

"They'll pay, I swear they'll pay," she whispered to him before rising and taking one last look at Dante. With her mind made up she rushed upstairs and opened the door to her room in a rush. She ran to the side of her bed and knocked on the wooden floor looking for a hollow plank. Once she found it she managed to pull it out and toss it aside.

A black leather jacket stared back at her exactly where she had left it all those years ago. She snatched it up from the floor before rushing out of the door and down the stairs. The flames by that time had completely consumed the entrance.

Turning away from it she headed towards the window at the end of the hall and smashed it mercilessly. It shattered underneath her boot before she climbed out and stepped back.

Embers and ashes would be all that would remain once her house burned down like the others on the street. Tears no longer fell from her face, instead her eyes glossed over with a look of rage and hatred.

The black leather jacket in her arms was her only escape now. She ran her hand through the patch on the back before reading the letters that she hadn't seen in years.

"The Devil's Bastards," she whispered while looking at the grinning skull with devil horns on it. She had once worn it with pride when her father had been in charge. The responsibility fell onto her now, she would make sure to carry out her brother's wishes.

With hesitation she slipped it on and closed her eyes trying to get used to the feeling of wearing it once more. The bikers that had been in her gang were all in the city, her brother had made sure of that, all she needed to do was call them and get them back together.

Her hand ran over the patch on the front that read 'President' before she turned away and left her old life behind. There was nothing left for her now, life had finally taken the last thing she cared about.

The world was cruel, there was no happy ending waiting for her, she still had to get used to that idea. She had been a romantic once, she had thought everything was perfect, that there was good in everyone. How wrong she had been to think like that, she could see the Joker's reasoning now. His words made perfect sense to her. She would have the last laugh, even if it killed her.

She spit out the blood from her split lip and cut cheek in disgust before pulling out her cellphone and heading over to the bike that was parked in the front.

"Get the men together, we have some work to do," she ordered before hanging up and placing it in her coat pocket.

Gotham was going to pay for what it had taken from her.

No matter what, blood would have blood.

**Review!**


	34. A Little Fight

**A Little Fight**

**A/N: Ok, I know I promised that I would write back to you guys in this chapter but I can't. It's currently five in the morning and I havent slept in over a day my dears. Pardon me if there are any typos, I didnt have time to read it again. Nevertheless, try to enjoy.**

Grumpy looked up when he heard the door slam shut. Relief coursed through him when he saw Monica toss the keys to her bike aside. Happy glanced up at her from his position on the couch before sighing and shaking his head at her.

"The boss has half of Gotham looking for you," Blade commented while shifting on one of the kitchen stools. Half of the goons in the room expected her to panic, to apologize and explain where she had gone off to. A look of concern flashed through Grumpy's eyes when Monica kept her gaze low and stumbled over to her room. She wasn't yelling at them to move out of her way or complaining about the mess they had made. Her silence was strangely uncharacteristic of her.

"Hey, are you ok, darling?" he asked rising form his chair when she completely ignored him. Monica closed her eyes briefly using the wall as support. His voice sounded so distant to her at the moment. She had managed to cope with her brother's death a few hours ago with denial. The fact that she would never see him again started to hit her the moment she arrived at her apartment and her phone was no longer ringing with his constant text messages and calls.

He was dead and it was her fault.

For a brief moment her vision went black, her head spun uncontrollably and her breathing hitched. The next thing she knew she was kneeling on the floor with Grumpy crouched beside her. He shook his head while running a comforting hand up and down her back trying to calm her nerves.

'_Murderer!' _her mind hissed as she glanced down at her bloodstained hands. She could hear Grumpy shouting orders at the goons around her. Her nerves were shot and her body wasn't able to register what he was saying.

"What the hell happened to her?" Chuckles asked putting out his cigar and moving forward to help Grumpy support her. The two goons managed to lead her over to her room after some struggle to get the door open. They sat her down on the bed and shuffled through the room trying to pick up as much guns and knives as they possibly could.

Grumpy kept glancing at Monica who sat completely still looking straight ahead at nothing in particular. To say that he was worried about her would have been an understatement. She wasn't reacting to the clown's bloodied knives or making disgusted faces at his gun powder reeking clothes.

Chuckles cursed when he accidentally knocked over a pile of cards on the nightstand. He was about to attempt to put them back into place before Happy poked his head into the room to see what the commotion was about.

"Oh shit," he mumbled once he saw Monica, "the boss is going to kill us."

Grumpy glared at him before resuming the task of cleaning up. The rest of the goons merely watched from the doorway praying that the Joker wouldn't show up any time soon.

"We have to get you cleaned up, sweetheart," Happy whispered trying to get through to her. When she didn't acknowledge him he sighed and took her hands into his gloved black ones. The feeling of cold leather didn't even seem to faze her as he led her towards the bathroom in her room. The one outside that the rest of them used was out of the question.

Blinding light caused little to no reaction from her when Happy flipped the switch and turned the water on. He peeled his gloves off with his teeth exposing his cut and bloodied hands before checking the water once more. Once he made sure that it was warm he took her hands and placed them beneath the running water. He stared at the pink hue that it took as soon as the blood started to wash off.

He didn't bother in questioning her; he knew he wasn't going to get a response from her any time soon. One thing was certain though, she hadn't killed anyone. He was sure that the kid didn't have it in her; he could never see her taking someone's life.

He took a cloth form the towel rack next to the shower curtain and made sure it was damp before gently wiping away the blood on her face. She refused to acknowledge him still, that alone was starting to scare him. If she didn't snap out of it soon they would all end up with a bullet in their heads the moment the clown walked in and saw her.

"I got her," Grumpy commented, stepping into the bathroom and taking the cloth from Happy's shaking hand. The clown's right hand man continued to wipe away the stains on her cheeks before moving on to her lips. He shuddered at the thought of what she must have seen and gone through.

"What happened, baby?" he asked with a frown on his face. He didn't expect her to answer, although part of him wished she would. The blood was already an indication that someone had either died or she had been put through a beating session. With the last thought running through his mind he instantly panicked and scanned her quickly. The spit lip and broken nose were going to be hard to explain once the Joker got back. Other than that he could find no other trace of anyone laying a hand on her.

The leather jacket that she had on, however, made him wonder what she had gone through in the last couple of hours. He could tell that it was some sort of biker club due to the patch and rocker that the mirror reflected. It was made for her, the size and cut confirmed that. Never in a million years would he have guessed that she belonged to any sort of motorcycle club.

He was brought back down to earth when the door to the apartment slammed shut followed by a familiar voice giving out orders. Monica remained completely still even when the clown entered the room and caught a sight of her in the bathroom with Grumpy. The goon's face paled when he saw his boss through the mirror, it was too late to try and cover up what had happened to her now.

"Boss I-" Grumpy started before he felt a blade being pressed into his neck. It drew a thin line of blood and he was sure that if he moved he would end up slicing his neck.

"Out," the Joker demanded, his eyes scanning Monica briefly before returning to Grumpy.

The goon remained frozen between the two, the blade on his neck hadn't been removed and he was horrified of moving without the clown's permission.

"I'll deal with you later," the Joker snapped removing his blade and dropping his hand. The fact that Monica hadn't looked at him once irritated the clown. He liked to think of himself worthy enough of her attention, since when did she think that she was allowed to ignore him?

Grumpy shuffled out of the bathroom after a moment of hesitation and left the room after seeing the murderous look that the clown threw at him.

"Hey, you,uh, in there?" the clown questioned tracing the scars on the inside of his cheek with a grin on his face. He patted Monica's cheek with the back of his hand to get her attention. After a few seconds he realized that something was off about her. She kept staring straight ahead even with him standing so close to her.

A chuckle escaped through his lips the moment he realized that she had a split lip and what looked like a black eye. His finger gently pressed down on the purple skin above her cheekbone with curiosity. Monica flinched, the first sign of life that she had shown since she had arrived, but remained completely still.

"Broken nose," the clown commented with a sadistic smile on his face as he traced the bridge of her nose. The amusement in his eyes didn't leave him even as her body pulled away from his touch. "Bruised cheek," he continued, shaking his head at her in mock disappointment. "Out of all of your looks, this has to be the best, beautiful."

His smile dropped, however, when he noticed what she was wearing. The patch on the leather jacket didn't sit well with him. The last thing he wanted was for her to be running around with a group of leather clad men. He couldn't see her as president material, she didn't have enough experience or will.

If she did get back on her motorcycle and run the club she would be dead within a month, especially with the way things were in Gotham at the moment. You couldn't step outside for more than a minute and expect not to get jumped or shot. There were too many criminals and Arkham inmates lurking in the shadows.

"What do you think you're doing, hm?" he questioned tracing the patches on the front of her leather jacket. Monica glanced up at him for the first time before shifting her gaze once more. She didn't know what she was doing or what she was getting herself into anymore. The more she thought about it the more she found herself not caring. She had nothing to lose now, her last family member was dead and she would be damned if she didn't retaliate for it.

"Do ya' honestly think you can run a gang of men?" the Joker continued, his head tilting slightly while he smiled widely at her. Monica could hear the doubt in his voice, the bastard was making fun of her. His voice seemed to break her out of her trance.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do," she snarled back unable to take another minute of his teasing. Her hand gripped the knife that he had rested above her collar while it pierced her palm. The clown narrowed his eyes at eth latest development.

She was tired of hearing his laughter, she was tired of him thinking so little of her, and she was tired of him taking everything like a joke. The fact that he brother had died wasn't amusing to her in the very least. She needed to mourn and get her thoughts straight not to be lectured by a man with grease paint on his face and a Cheshire smile. It amazed her that he could take things like death so casually and let them roll off of his back.

"I know what you're capable of," the Joker sneered, pulling his knife out of her grip enjoying the red tint that her blood left on the silver blade. "And this," he added eyeing her jacket briefly, "is something you can't handle." He could see straight through her, she was scared of him even now. How could she possibly hope to make it out on the streets if she couldn't even look him in the eye?

Rage seemed to drop a veil over Monica's eyes as her hands flew up and gripped his coat roughly. Without thinking she rammed him up against the wall in a matter of seconds. The clown could have sworn he saw stars the moment his head connected with the harsh surface behind him. A jolt of pleasure shot up his spine when the pain from the collision ran through his body. Monica could feel his chest rumble before he let loose a stream of laughter.

"A little fight in ya," he chuckled leaning forward despite the death grip that she had on him. "I like that," he whispered into her ear as she drew away from him in disgust. Before she knew it, however, their roles were flipped in the blink of an eye.

A sting near her jaw caused her to flinch when he wrapped a hand around her sensitive neck and backed her up against the sink. Her body instinctively sat up on it to get away from him only to have him step in between her legs and slam her head up against the mirror behind her. The shards fell onto the pair while some got caught in her hair.

"You forget who you're talking to, beautiful," he murmured, his eyes dark as he increased the pressure. Monica choked and clawed at his wrist in an attempt to free the pressure. The stitches underneath the bandages were close to coming undone. She knew that if he went any further they would open again and she would probably end up bleeding to death.

Circles were starting to form over her vision, she was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it. Just as her eyes were about to roll up a knock at the door caused the clown to release her neck and step back.

Monica coughed while her body slumped forward. Her chest heaved trying to get air into her lungs as she reached for something to support herself with. The Joker stepped out of the bathroom with a snarl and headed towards the door. So close, he had been so close to killing her. The fact that he had gotten interrupted was something that he wouldn't stand for, whoever was on the other side of that door was going to die.

"It's the playboy," Happy whispered in desperation as goons ran around quietly gathering ammo boxes and guns from the floor. The clown cursed inwardly, as much as he wanted to do the billionaire in he couldn't do yet. There were things that needed to be done still and the man standing outside was a vital part in his plan, he couldn't afford to kill him at the moment.

Turning with a sneer on his face he made his way over to Monica who flinched at his touch. He pulled her towards him with a harsh tug.

"Don't mention us or I'll give you a set of scars that will make mine pale in comparison," he snarled at her pulling her over to the door and shoving her towards it. Monica stumbled slightly and rubbed the spot where he had been holding on to her. He had no doubt left a nice bruise on her arm.

She turned to look at them one last time before they shut the door to her bedroom and attempted to stay quiet. Making sure that she was as decent as she was going to get she sighed and opened the door.

Bruce stared at her with a look of shock on his face as she allowed him in and closed the door behind her. He turned with a demanding look on his face as she sighed and leaned up against the door. She hadn't wanted it to go down like this. She had planned on telling her everything that had happened since the last time she had seen him but not with a whole group of goons listening in to her conversation.

Realizing that she had no choice she prepared herself mentally in order to tell him everything that was on her mind. She sat on the couch and motioned for him to join her. With one last glance at her bedroom door she started to tell him everything she had gone through.

"It's a long story."

**On a sidenote, I felt like giving you guys a chance to let me know what you want to see happen in this story. Whether it be a moment in between characters or big picture. Let me know and I'll consider adding it it. Review! **


	35. Twisted, Like You

**Twisted, Like You. **

**A/N: Once more, this is not one of my best chapters my dears, more of a filler if you will. I pray that the next one will be much better. My muse has been missing for the past couple of chapters, i hope that it will return to me soon D: . Side notes to some of you guys since I promised that I would write back: **

**BobSwag: Lmao, she'll go badass in the next chapter trust me. She's still pretty innocent in this chapter though. **

**SuperheroAnimeGeek: Well, I havent really given him the chance to confront any of the men that have wronged Monica, perhaps I should change that shouldn't I? It would be nice to see him react to one of them ;D**

**LaurenvBelladonna: Indeed, it is such a difficult choice. Bruce is obviously the safer of the two but the Joker still has that dangerous side to him that is strangely alluring, I dont knot, we'll see how it plays out I guess ;)**

**Jmel2: Putting Zsasz in there would certainly be a nice change, consider it in the works :D**

**katielouise10x: Indeed, I'm glad Im not the only one that thinks that guy is bipolar. I mean one moment he's fine and the next he's slicing away at people and breaking necks -_- so unpredictable he scares me XD**

**Bella2286 : Dont worry, she will toughen up the hard way, you have to when you live in Gotham. And getting back at the Joker, I like that :D after all, he is the reason for all of her misfortunes so far!**

**LivinJgrl123: Judas will get what he deserves dont worry, I just havent figured out who's going to get the chance to make him suffer. I dont think Monica is capable of actuallly harming him, despite everything that he's done to her. I like to think that deep down a part of her still cares for him to an extent, so he'll probably end up on the Joker's hitlist when he finds out that he was the one who marked her before. **

**Vento : You're right, they do need to turn all that anger and tension in between them into something ;)**

**Omen657: They will get together, dont worry :D **

**TheCleverGirl: Good god, are you a fortune teller? I was thinking of doing the same (having Batman and Joker team up temporarily to help Monica but at the end have the clown turn on the bat) for a while. O.o you my dear, are amazing! :D cookie for you!**

**ZenyZootSuit: Im glad I havent butchered the Joker's character :D it makes me think that Im doing something right!**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Here's the new chapter :DD**

**Noniona: They do need to clear all of that sexual tension. It's like good god Joker just kiss her and get it over with! Oh well, it'll happen dont worry! **

_"Sometimes I don't wanna be better,_  
><em>Sometimes I can't be put back together,<em>  
><em>Sometimes I find it hard to believe...<em>  
><em>There's someone else who could be,<em>  
><em>Just as messed up as me!<em>

_I want someone to hurt like the way I hurt,_  
><em>It's sick but it makes me feel better...<em>

_Sometimes I can't hide the demons that I face..._  
><em>Sometimes don't deny,<em>  
><em>I'm sometimes sinner, sometimes saint."<em>

_-Skillet_

"Sometimes, I think God just wants to make my life miserable," Monica finalized, falling back against the black leather sofa behind her. Her head was pounding and a feeling of exhaustion settled over her. She had cried herself dry by then and started to regret opening up so much in front of the billionaire. He continued to stare at her from across the coffee table with a look of disbelief on his face.

When he had first arrived having her break down before him had been the last thing he had expected. He had sat still and kept his comments to himself throughout her story although he would have liked to voice them several times. Giving her the opportunity to vent for the first time was something that he wouldn't interrupt.

"Everything happens-" Bruce started before Monica's eyes shot open. She pinned him with a glare and pushed herself upright once more.

"Don't say 'for a reason'," she growled. Having people tell her that everything would work out had made her weary. They didn't know her situation and they sure as hell didn't live her life. They had no right to say anything to her.

Her face turned pale, however, when a bang from her room caused both her, and Bruce, to jump in their spots. The playboy turned his head towards the direction of the closed wooden door and wondered what had caused the sudden noise. Monica quickly sprang up from the couch fighting the urge to rest and blocked Bruce before he could reach the door.

"I'll check," she mumbled with a nervous smile. Praying that the goons had attempted to hide, she opened the door with closed eyes and held her breath. Bruce stood behind her and scanned the room with calculative eyes. He found nothing out of place, everything seemed like it had stayed the same for days. Monica finally found the will to open her eyes after hearing nothing but silence from the dark knight next to her. A small sigh escaped through her lips when she found her room empty.

The open window near the bed caught her eye. She walked into the room with quiet steps fearing that there would be a goon under her bed, hiding in her closet, or waiting in the closet. Bruce on the other hand entered after her with resounding footsteps, his eyes continued to tear through the room for the smallest of hints.

A deep frown settled on his lips when he saw the deck of cards on her nightstand. She didn't strike him as the gambling type and having them there seemed uncharacteristic of her. He continued to search the room for other pieces that might hint towards the bigger picture but found nothing.

Monica quickly slammed the door to her bathroom shut upon remembering that the clown had smeared make up all over it. Before Bruce could question her any further she dragged herself towards the bed. The leather jacket that she had been wearing was shed on the way along with her hair tie and shirt. Bruce could only look at her with confusion apparent on his face as she stripped herself of her clothing.

Without the clown there she wanted to take advantage of the situation and catch a few hours of sleep. God knew she needed it now more than ever. A few hours would help her forget everything that had happened. She needed to clear her head if she was to do anything about her brother's death.

He looked away as she reached towards a black oversized shirt on the edge of her bed. His mind reminded him that after everything she had been through the last thing on her mind would have been to change in another room. It was her apartment after all, in a way he was the one that didn't belong there.

After he was sure she was done he returned his gaze towards her. She sat calmly on her large bed with her legs crossed and her head propped up with one of her hands. Her black hair fell back and blended with the dark shirt and comforter.

"Bruce, can you do me a favor?" she asked suddenly, catching the playboy off guard. His blue eyes drifted over to her own brow orbs and stayed there while he waited for her request. "Could you stay here…just for a while?" her voice held a hint of embarrassment and for a brief moment she broke the gaze she had set on him.

Bruce's mind ran blank for a moment. He had no idea why she had asked him to stay; nevertheless, he found his body moving towards the chair beside her bed. It was the least he could do after everything she had been through.

A relieved sigh left his lips as he sank down into the chair. His tense muscles relaxed for a moment and he instantly felt at ease. Monica watched him through half lidded eyes from her position on the bed. She could feel herself drifting off into sleep already. Asking him to stay hadn't been part of her plan; somehow having him there set her mind at ease. Her mind tried to reassure her, tried to convince her that with Bruce there no harm would come to her.

She felt safe whenever he was around; it was a feeling that she hadn't had the pleasure of feeling in a long time. With the way that things were going in her life feeling safe was something that she rarely had the chance to do, especially when the clown prince of crime was around.

"You'll be gone soon," she mumbled, half asleep. Shadows were already being cast from her furniture indicating that the sun was going down. Darkness had always been something that she linked to the man sitting in front of her. Batman would be needed soon; she was in no position to keep him there with her when he was needed somewhere else.

"I'll stay until you're sleeping," she heard him reply. His voice was a mere buzz to her now, his figure a blur. The bed and sheets around her suddenly became more comfortable and welcoming.

Bruce could only stare in wonder at the woman's sleeping form. She seemed so calm to him at the moment. There was no frown on her lips or a worried expression on her face. For once she seemed at peace with her surroundings. The billionaire made a mental note to never forget the picture of her resting like that.

For one mad and unthought-of of moment he wondered what it would be like to wake up and have her next to him looking exactly like she did now. He tried to picture the feeling of running his hand through her hair and kissing her good morning. A light chuckle filled the air when he realized how absurd the image was. It would never happen and he knew it, he was kidding himself when he tried to argue otherwise.

He was reminded of his visit in the first place when a light breeze entered through the window and blew the cards off of the nightstand. Bruce reached down and picked one up at random. His lip curled upwards into a sneer, the card in his shaking hand grinned back up at him.

"Joker," he hissed, out of all of the cards he could have picked he had taken the one he had grown to loathe. With a flick of his wrist he discarded it into the corner of her room and stood suddenly. He was reminded of what he had to do. Finding the clown and the Riddler had become a priority. Bane and Scarecrow would have to wait for the moment.

Gotham was slowly slipping further and further into darkness, in the past month the crime rates had nearly tripled. People no longer went outside for fear of getting robbed, shot, or raped. Batman was needed, now more than ever. As much as he wanted to stay with Monica he knew he had other priorities to attend to.

Hearing the news of her dead brother had come as a surprise to him. Dante had been one of the few cops that Bruce had faith in. The rest were either working for the criminals themselves or bribed easily. He needed to find the Riddler before anyone else did, if he failed to do so the man would wind up dead sooner or later.

With his mind made up he turned and started towards her door, unaware of the figure climbing in through the window.

The Joker clicked his tongue in annoyance as soon as the playboy left and shut the door behind him. He though Bruce would never leave. Waiting had never been his strong suit; he had even grown tired of killing passersby in the alley while he waited.

He walked over towards Monica, cracking his neck in the process. The look that she had on her face didn't suit her. It was too calm for his liking, it lacked fear and panic. His tired muscles protested as he reached out and yanked the comforter off of her. Instantly she curled up into a ball and shivered at the sudden loss of warmth.

A pleased smile spread on the clown's scarred lips when he noticed her frowning in her sleep. Her brow furrowed as one hand reached blindly beside her for something warm.

"Wake up, beautiful," the Joker snapped, his hand slapping her cheek as he tried to get her to stir. Monica rolled away from his touch and continued to sleep for a few more seconds. "The beauty sleep isn't working doll, those bruises aren't going to ,uh, disappear overnight," he added with another chuckle.

"Get out of my room, clown," Monica mumbled, burring her face into her pillow. The purple clad man who stood behind her managed to irritate her in the worst possible way. All she asked for was a few hours of sleep, was that too much?

She scrunched up her face when a weird sensation settled over her. Her pillow seemed different somehow. Ignoring the detail she tried to go back to sleep even as the Joker reached over and turned on the lap beside her.

"Ya know', that's the pillow that I use," he pointed out. Monica groaned and shot off of the bed. Her hair seemed to poke out at odd angles. The Joker's cackles soon filled the room as he stared at her makeup smeared face. Monica reached up and scowled with disgust apparent in her eyes when she saw the white and red grease make up on her fingers. She marched over to the bathroom to wash it off, the last thing that she wanted was his face paint on her.

"It's not too bad once you get used to it, doll," the Joker commented as he leaned on the doorway of the bathroom. Monica glared at him discreetly through the mirror. She wondered what had caused his sudden good mood. Her mouth remained shut, she didn't want to voice her outrage and have him trying to kill her once more.

"I'm leaving," she stated as she grabbed her clothes and boots and headed out of the room. Changing with him there was out of the question. The clown merely followed her with fixed eyes, his teasing had gotten him what he wanted. Having her leave had been his goal, he didn't want her there when his goons came back with the supplies he would need for his next plan.

Monica merely shut the door behind her when she reached the bathroom down the hall and changed quickly. The sooner she was out of her apartment the sooner she would leave the clown behind. His mere presence unnerved her.

Her phone vibrated before she could slip on her jacket which caused her to jump slightly and stare at it with slight surprise. She picked it up and read the message with a grim expression before she darkened the screen and slipped it into her back pocket.

Her boots echoed loudly against the wooden floors as she made her way towards the door. She picked her leather jacket up as she passed by and stopped when she heard the madman's voice behind her.

"Give my regards to Brucey boy," the Joker commented with an eerie tone. Monica froze and turned to look at him briefly. He stared back with a grin that could only be matched by Arkham's insane inmates, his eyes gleamed with amusement. Monica's blood ran cold, did he know? He couldn't know, right?

There was no way in hell that the clown in front of her knew that Bruce was actually Batman. She had even made sure to keep that subject at bay when she had been talking to the playboy during his stay. The way the clown was looking at her, however, made her have second thoughts. What if he already knew?

She turned and slammed the door shut behind her without saying another word. Her thoughts were a twisted mess and she wasn't thinking clearly. She needed to leave before she let anything slip from her lips.

The air outside felt like heaving the moment she sat on her motorcycle and revved it up. She drove it over to where she had agreed to meet one of her men. The grip that she had on the handles had caused her knuckles to turn white. She needed to get away from everything and everyone, she had a feeling that she would go mad with all of the secrets that she was keeping.

One of them plagued her more than the others. The fact that she had the clown prince of crime living with her disturbed her greatly. Why was he still there? Better yet, why did she allow him to stay there in the first place?

Her mind instantly answered for her. She was horrified of him, she wasn't ready to die just yet and going against him was a sure way to get yourself killed. Telling him to leave was something that only a fool with a death wish would do. She cursed at what she had gotten herself into the moment their paths had first crossed.

Before she could ponder her decisions any further she heard a motorcycle pull up next to her. A smile tugged at the edges of her lips when she noticed the familiar biker beside her. He had been the one to message her and arrange their meeting.

"Been a while, love," the man commented with a deep, gravelly voice. Monica nodded in agreement and stared at him in disbelief, it had been ages since she had seen him. His grey eyes stared back at her with a cold and collected manner. She could tell that he had been keeping up with himself over the years, despite the leather she could see his muscles flex every time he moved or shifted.

"You haven't changed, Beelzebub," she replied eying the motorcycle that he was on. The light had changed in front of the pair but neither seemed to notice. The drivers behind them didn't bother in honking at them when they saw the patches on their jackets.

"Lu called, he wanted me to tell you something," Beelzebub replied, his tongue brushing over the tips of his canines. Monica turned her head further when she heard this and waited for him to continue. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his spine before continuing.

"He said Harley was getting out of the hospital today, something about you getting even," he told her with a straight face. She could tell that he was analyzing her bruised face and fresh cuts. When his eyes landed on the one on her neck she turned away from him and nodded.

She finally seemed to notice that the light had turned green and revved her bike once more. The fact that Harley was getting out of the hospital came as a pleasant surprise to her. She would finally get the chance to pay her back for the cut that she had left on her neck.

A sadistic smile replaced the innocent one she had had moments before as she turned to look at her right hand man and chuckled.

"Get the boys together; we've got some retaliation to deliver."

**Well, I've been getting less and less reviews as of late. Where did half of you go? Did Bane snap your necks? Oh well, review! You have no idea how much you make my day when I see one review! Till next time, my dears!**


	36. Make Me Proud

**Make Me Proud**

**A/N: Double chapter! -_- Well I like to think of it that way since I updated so soon, so I expect more reviews! -_- anyway! I hope you enjoy my dears because from here on out it's gonna be raining blood and bullets! I felt a little more inspired for this one but don't expect it to be like something that Shakespeare wrote XD Enjoy!  
><strong>

"What have they done?" Monica asked as she pulled up to the building that her men had considered home for so long. Loud music blasted inside and the windows shook with the force of the beat. Her jaw dropped at the pure insult that they were making by turning it into a night club.

"What do you want me to do?" Beelzebub asked through clenched teeth. His hand reached for the Beretta on his hip as he dismounted his bike and stared at the club with disgust. Monica merely continued to look at the outside façade with shock. Bright neon pink letters stared back at her and the occasional drug addict stumbled by near the entrance.

Her blood was boiling, she left for three years and this happened? Her boots hit the ground beneath her with harsh echoes as she cracked her neck and sneered at the two guards standing outside. One of them whispered something into the little headpiece that he wore before straightening up once more.

"What the hell happened to our bar?" another voice snapped as more motorcycles pulled up behind them. Monica didn't turn to look at the new arrivals; she knew who they were by the mere rumble that their bikes made.

"Who did you leave in charge?" Monica asked, her vision clouding over with rage as she tried to restrain herself from bursting into the club with blazing guns. More of her men stood beside her with glares while guns were readied.

"Jack," Beelzebub replied as several men scoffed with apparent disapproval.

"It's no wonder this place has gone to hell, this is all your fault for letting him take care of the club!" Gabriel, Monica's third in command, boomed from the back making his way towards through the mass of bikers in front of him. Monica turned to look at him with a sharp look.

Gabriel pounced on Beelzebub sending both of them to the ground. The bikers around them backed away slowly knowing how much damage a single punch from one of the two could do.

"Enough!" Monica barked placing her boot on top of Beelzebub's back seconds before he could deliver another blow to the side of Gabriel's face. She pushed him off of the other man without much struggle and sighed in disapproval. The two bikers stared at each other before picking themselves up off of the ground. Beelzebub merely wiped away the blood from his broken nose with his gloved hand and spat at Gabriel's feet.

Monica got in between the two as Gabriel shot forward to hit her second in command once more.

"Stop it!" she yelled at both of them.

The men around the trio continued to watch quietly. Monica sighed and realized what she had gotten herself into the moment she decided to get her men back together. Old grudges sprung up and unsettled scraps surfaced. The two men on either side of her had a long history between them of arguments and fights. She could feel herself slowly lose grasp of the control and calm that she once had. Her father had warned her about losing herself to the club, she didn't care anymore. She had nothing to lose, she would wrong others before they wronged her if she was given the chance. Letting people walk over her was no longer something that she would be able to do, not with a gang of bikers looking to her for orders.

"We're supposed to be taking back our club, not beating each other to death!" Monica growled shoving Gabriel away from Beelzebub as the pair of men continued to size each other up.

"Whatever you say, darling," Beelzebub spat turning away from Gabriel once more. One day he would beat the other man to death; he just had to make sure that Monica was nowhere near them to stop their fight.

"How are we supposed to get in there?" Berial asked, standing in front of Gabriel while attempting to keep him away from Beelzebub. Monica turned to look at him and smiled coldly, out of all of the bikers there she would have thought he would have guessed how they were going to get in.

"Guns blazing, gentlemen," she replied, walking over to her motorcycle. She pulled out her two silver revolvers and strapped them to her waist before turning to face the club. Taking a deep breath she started to walk over to the main entrance.

"If anyone gets in the way, shoot them," she ordered. Tonight she wasn't going to take any chances; she wanted what was rightfully hers. Nothing was going to stand in her way, nothing.

The pair of guards near the entrance stepped in front of the door as soon as they saw her walk over. They tried to use their imposing stature to intimidate her which only made Monica chuckle lightly.

"What's so funny, girl?' one of them asked, his hand going to the gun near his waist. Beelzebub merely rose the AK-47 in his hands and aimed it at the man's head. The guard froze and let go of the gun while his partner attempted to make up for the mistake.

"Not tonight, boy," Gabriel laughed, pointing his shotgun at the other guard.

"Move or I'll have you shot where you stand," Monica ordered, her smile still in place. The two men stared at her with doubt before she pulled the trigger of her revolver with irritation. The first guard went down holding his wounded knee in pain. She remained completely apathetic towards his curses as he tried to reach for her leg with a bloodied hand. The bullet had probably hit a vital vein due to all of the blood that he was losing.

"I won't miss this time," she stated eerily as she pointed her gun at the remaining guard. He moved out of her way after a few more moments of hesitation. "Wise choice," Monica laughed as she stepped over the bleeding guard and made her way inside. The rest of her men followed after her with their guns ready.

She made her way down a narrow hallway yelling at the people in her way to move and get out of the club. Fury built up inside of her as she noticed all of the changes that had been made to her precious club.

The black paint had been replaced with neon purple and the bar had been completely remodeled. The more she looked around the more agitated she became. Someone had to be responsible for all of the changes and she was hell-bent on finding out who.

The music died down the moment they stepped onto the dance floor and into full view. Her eyes shot over to the DJ, she recognized the man instantly.

"Oh shit," Jack mumbled taking off the head phones while stumbling away from the gang of bikers in front of him. He had never expected to see them again, not after everything they had been through in the past.

"Get him," Monica snapped as Gabriel moved forward and grabbed a chair off of the bar. He hurled it towards Jack and managed to hit the back of his knees. The club owner hit the floor with a sickening crack before he managed to pick himself up. Staying there was out of the question, he would end up with something worse than broken bones if he let himself get caught by the bikers behind him.

"Dance for me, Jackie boy," Monica snarled, pulling out her guns and pointing them at him. Several dancers gasped and moved away from her. By that time everything within the club had quieted down and every head was directed at the group of bikers in the center of the room.

Without warning, Monica let loose a stream of bullets at the bottom of Jack's feet. He jumped back and tried his best to dodge the shots. She felt a rush come over her as she continued to torment the man in front of her; it had been so long since she had held her guns…

Beelzebub chuckled beside her, the woman he knew was back. It had been years since he had seen her let loose like that.

"Come on guys, I looked after this place for you," Jack pleaded as a bullet grazed his leg. He jumped back with fear apparent in his eyes as the bikers continued to laugh at his predicament. Monica stopped when she heard him and tilted her head in amusement.

"Looked after it?" she questioned, walking forward with a predatory stance. Jack gulped and stepped back, how could he have forgotten how horrifying the woman in front of him was?

"Is that how you see it?" she whispered, putting her guns away. A gleaming knife replaced them, her laughter reached his hears as the blade pressed against his neck.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to change anything," Jack pleaded as he turned his face to look at the leader of the Bastards beside him. Her eyes remained fixed on something other than him, the blade continued to press against his neck dangerously.

"Of course, I believe you," Monica replied with honesty in her voice. Her eyes followed the lights above them.

So much color, there was so much color.

She recalled the place being darker; you could barely walk a foot without tripping over something in the dark. The bar held assorted bottles, none of which she had left behind. Weak liquor replaced her tequila and vodka,

Jack stared at Gabriel as Monica hugged him and shushed him. He had gotten so scared of their wrath that he had begun to cry, he didn't want to lose his life, not over something like this.

"Thank god, I thought you were going to kill me over something this stupid," he replied. Monica's eyes closed for a brief moment as she nodded.

Something this stupid?

This was her family's legacy.

Jack gasped as her blade plunged into his chest. Monica twisted the knife in further with a snarl, enjoying the sound of tearing flesh and cracking bones. Blood started to ooze out and stain her gloves as Jack's body slumped forward.

Beelzebub smiled as she pushed him off of her and took out the blade with a harsh tug. Jack's dead body fell in front of her as she wiped the blood off on his clothes.

She had just killed someone.

The thought didn't disturb her as much as it had before, he had deserved it. She felt no guilt or remorse, she didn't feel anything.

"Clean this up," she ordered as two other bikers moved forward and picked Jack's body up. Gabriel stared at her with concern as she put her blade away and stared at him.

"Are you ok?" he asked her when he noticed that the rest of the bikers were busy with threatening the people who had been witness to the murder. Dancers rushed around them in a desperate attempt to get out before someone else died.

"I knew what I was getting myself into when I took my father's place," Monica replied, her face expressionless. "This is just routine to me by now."

Gabriel nodded in understanding. Her answer made sense; if you weren't prepared to kill someone for your club then you weren't fit to lead. He merely wondered how she would deal with it once the fact really sunk in.

"Get Viktor to trash the place and rebuild it," she added as Gabriel nodded and pulled out his cellphone. Monica continued to watch the chaos around her. Occasionally someone would bump into her in their attempt to get out, they would pale when they saw who she was and beg for their lives. She ignored them and made her way over to the bar.

She broke the glass case with her elbow and reached in before pulling out the only bottle of tequila. The golden liquor gleamed despite the dim lights as she poured it into a glass shot. She sat on one of the stools calmly as the sounds of sirens reached her ears.

"So quickly," she whispered to herself. Gotham's finest had responded much quicker than she had given them credit for. She turned her head and nodded to Beelzebub who ordered the rest of her men out of the club. By the time the cops showed up only she remained along with Gabriel and her second in command.

"Hands where I can see them!" one of the cops shouted as they flashed the light in her eyes. She sighed and took the shot of tequila from the bar. Facing them, she downed the liquid and let the glass slip out of her hands.

No sooner had it shattered; one of the cops had her pressed down onto the bar. She laughed as they slipped the hand cuffs on her wrists and tightened them more than necessary. The cop pulled her up and shoved her forward towards the entrance.

"May I inquire the reason behind your visit, messieurs?" she asked as Gabriel was taken down and hand cuffed beside her. She could hear Beelzebub punching one of the cops before he too was restrained and taken out of the club.

"We got a call regarding gunshots, you're in possession of two revolvers," the cop explained as Monica nodded in understanding.

"And so you assumed that I pulled the trigger, clever," she replied as she was brought outside. She winked at one of her men who was hiding in a nearby alley before he nodded back and disappeared into the shadows. The cop missed her signal and lowered her into one of the cars before slamming the door shut behind her.

Monica relaxed her muscles and looked out of the window like a child on a field trip as they drove her down to the police station. It didn't matter if they took her in, she would be out by morning. They wouldn't find anything in the club other than knocked over bottles of beer and liquor mixes. The blood and body had already been taken care of.

"Welcome home," the cop mocked as he walked her through the double doorway of the entrance. After they processed all of her papers he led her into the holding cells where other women sat and leaned against the bars. Monica's eyes scanned their faces looking for one in particular.

The moment the cop undid her hand cuffs and hurled her in she knew her plan had worked. Harley sat in one of the corners, her head low and her knees pulled up to her chest.

Lucifer had informed Monica that they had transferred Harley directly from the hospital after they had found out about her record. Their plan had gone according to plan, getting into the same cell as her had been the goal all along.

"Harley, fancy seeing you here, love," Monica commented standing in front of the other woman. Harley's head shot up at the familiar voice. The biker enjoyed the way the harlequin's blue eyes widened in fear and recognition.

"You're starting to get the picture," the biker added as she reached down and pulled Harley up to her view. The blond had never regretted anything before, but slicing the neck of the woman who had her in her hold was something that she wished she could take back. After finding out that she had lived through it she knew Monica would want revenge.

"If you touch me, Mistah J will-" Harley started before Monica shook her violently.

"He'll what?" Monica hissed, daring the other woman to try and use the clown price of crime against her. "Cut me, choke me, stab me?" the biker questioned with glee.

Harley stared back with fear and pleaded with the other women in the cell. After several glances at the jacket Monica was wearing at the patch that read 'President' the other criminals in the room decided to turn a blind eye to what was happening. They didn't even bother in calling a guard over. There was clearly a score to be settled, they weren't going to interfere.

"He's tired all of that, Harley," Monica laughed, "and I'm still here."

The harlequin narrowed her eyes at the woman before her. Why was she there when the Joker could have killed her before? Why did he still need Monica when he had her? She was good enough wasn't she? Sure she sometimes did things without thinking and irritated him but she was convinced that she was better than the biker in front of her.

"Joker isn't here to save you," Monica added, her voice dropping drastically as Harley uttered a pitiful squeak, "and I believe we have a score to settle."

Without another word, Monica grabbed a fistful of Harley's blond hair and rammed her face into the bars in front of her. The harlequin screamed in pain and scratched at Monica's hand in desperation as she continued to slam her face into the metal bars.

"This is for ordering me around in my own home," Monica snarled, pulling her hand back before she delivered a blow to Harley's face. The blond stumbled back holding her broken nose while crying uncontrollably. She attempted to swing at the biker as she neared her once more but missed pitifully.

"This one is for claiming my room as your own," the biker added grabbing her hair once more before kneeing her in the face. Harley flew back and crashed onto the cold concrete ground beneath her.

"And this one, this one is for my neck," Monica growled animalistically as she straddled Harley's waist and began to rain blow after blow onto her face. The harlequin's legs kicked desperately underneath her.

"Break it up!" several guards shouted as they ran towards the cell where the fight had broken out. They managed to tear Monica away from the beaten Harlequin beneath her for a few moments.

"If I ever see you again, I'll kill you!" Monica thundered as two guards managed to pull her out of the holding cell. "You hear me? I'll kill you!"

Harley merely cried quietly as another guard led her in the opposite direction. The blond noticed that they were taking her towards the front of the station. She was greeted by Grumpy and Blade; the pair stood waiting near the entrance impatiently.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to you?" Grumpy asked as the cop handed her off to them. They had bailed her out on the clown's orders but they had never expected to see her like that. She ignored him and the hand he had offered as she made her way down the stairs of the station.

She opened the door leading outside with a bloody hand and rushed over to a black escalade that was parked down the street.

"Mistah J!" she cried flinging herself into the clown's arms as soon as the passenger's door was opened. The Joker cringed when she attached herself to his waist. His teeth grit warningly at her, she should have learned that he loathed her hugging him.

The moment she looked up at him, however, his fake smile dropped. Her face was bloodied and cut and several bruises were already forming.

"What happened, Harley?" he asked as Grumpy and Blade got into the Escalade and the driver pulled away from the station.

"It was that bitch, puddin'!" Harley wailed dramatically waiting for the clown to order his men after Monica for what she had done to her.

The Joker felt himself smile once more, genuinely smile. His hand brushed over the cuts and bruises on Harley's face analyzing the work Monica had done. She must have hit the blond several times in order to inflict such injuries. Satisfaction settled over him and pleasure shot up his spine. Monica had probably planned all of it; the clown was pleasantly surprised at how far her drive for revenge had taken her. She

"Beautiful," the clown whispered, pleased with the damage that his squeeze had left behind, "simply beautiful." Harley beamed up at him thinking that he was referring to her.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, the masochist inside of him wondered what it would be like to have her unleash her fury upon him. His smile grew wider even as Harley continued to sob against his chest.

Oh, the possibilities.

He would have to run into her soon.

**Review~!**


	37. Bad Romance

**Bad Romance**

**A/N: Not so sure about this one but you guys can let me know what you thought! I wish I could reply but I need to catch a few hours of sleep for tomorrow my dears, I'll do it for the next chappie so you can look forward to that -_- anyway! Enjoy! **

"You cheated!" Happy pointed out as Grumpy shook his head in denial and took the pile of money in the center of the coffee table. They had been playing poker for a while and so far he had won most of the matches. Blade merely eyed the group of men from his position on one of the kitchen stools with disinterested eyes. His boss had strangely decided to remain in the apartment for the day and had yet to come out of the bedroom.

"One more round, Hap?" Grumpy joked, shuffling the deck with a sheepish grin on his face. The other goon huffed before sitting down once more and throwing some money on the table. Grumpy merely laughed and slipped an ace under his sleeve when the other goon wasn't looking. He would have thought that after losing so many games Happy would have figured out where he was keeping the extra card.

"Someone's at the door," Blade commented when he heard footsteps outside and the jingling of keys. The goons in the room all tensed and turned to look at the entrance with nervous faces. After a few moments the doorknob turned and Monica stepped through the doorway with a tired look on her face.

Chuckles sighed and turned to look at the hand that he had been given with an apathetic look on his face. Judging by the cards that he was seeing he knew that winning this particular game wasn't going to be easy.

"Glad to see that you keep yourselves entertained," Monica commented, closing the door behind her. She tossed her keys aside and dropped her bag near the entrance as she made her way over to the kitchen. Blade merely eyed her curiously as she poured herself a glass of wine and drank it slowly while looking at the game of poker that was in session.

Laughing, she saw Grumpy wink at her and twirl his wrist in a manner that showed the cards that he had stored away. She picked up her unfinished glass of wine and made her way over to her room in order to retrieve what she had come for.

"I suggest you fold," she commented as she passed by Happy who merely rolled his eyes at her and looked at the cards in his hand with a straight face. Monica merely shook her head at him and stepped into her room after one last glance at the men in her living room.

The room was pitch black, she could tell someone had drawn the curtains over the windows and turned off all of the lights. She sighed when she recognized the lone figure sprawled across her bed. Moments passed before she realized that the clown prince of crime was completely unaware of her presence. She made her way over to her wardrobe as quietly as she possibly could and started to grab the items that she had come for.

"Ya' know…" the clown's sleepy voice commented, "while beauty sleep might not work for you, it does wonders for me," he commented slurring some of his words. Monica turned to look at him with a look of amusement on her face as she continued to pack her clothes in the spare leather bag she had brought with her.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed," she shot back as she shoved some of her black pants into the bag and zipped it up before realizing that she had forgotten a black dress that she kept stored away in a box on the top shelf. She reached up for it wishing to be out of the clown's way before realizing that she was too short to successfully grab it and prevent the other boxes from falling on her.

Turning, her mind pointed out that she would probably need someone to grab it for her. Her face collided with the clown's vested chest as he reached over her and grabbed the box she had wanted. She took it from him with care and wondered why he had helped her in the first place.

Dust had accumulated on the surface of the black box over the years, it made her pause and realize that she had been running from her past for far too long. Her hand brushed over the surface as she stepped around the clown awkwardly and walked over to her bed.

The Joker merely watched her from the doorway of the wardrobe with narrowed eyes. She had changed since he had last seen her. The black clothing that she wore suited her, it made her pale skin stand out even more, she almost looked like a corpse. The various scars that he could see were something that made his hand twitch, he hadn't made them.

Before he knew it she had grabbed the bag beside him and made her way over to the door.

"Leaving so soon?" he questioned, running his tongue over the scars on the inside of his cheek. Monica watched as he did it and clenched her teeth, it was one of the various habits that the clown had that made her want to choke him.

"I'm not coming back," she replied as she watched him smile at her. She knew that her leaving would make the madman in front of happy. The clown merely grinned at her; of course she was going to come back. He wasn't done with her yet.

Monica turned without saying anything else and walked across the living room trying to avoid the looks that she was getting from the goons around her. The suitcase in her hand was painfully obvious and it stated that she wouldn't be coming back. She had already moved her dogs over to the clubhouse, all that was left were the clothes in her beg.

"You're leaving?" Grumpy questioned, once he saw her move towards the door. Monica sighed and stopped before she turned to look at him. Out of all of the people she had been avoiding he was the one that she didn't want to talk to at the moment. She had grown fond of him and saying goodbye was going to be something that would prove to be painful.

"I have to," she replied as Grumpy's shoulders dropped slightly. She could see the disappointment in his eyes. That was why she hadn't wanted to see him before she left, she knew this would happen.

"One last game, love?" Chuckles questioned, waving the cards in his hand at her. Monica sighed and considered her options before she saw the Joker staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face from the doorway. She could see the doubt in his eyes, he was testing her.

"She won't play, boys," the clown laughed, tilting his head at her. Monica felt a shiver run up her back when she heard the bones in his neck crack. At the same time the stare that he was giving her was starting to unnerve her.

"One game," she answered. Grumpy's face lit up as she walked over and sat down beside him. Chuckles shuffled the deck across from them quickly while Happy merely went through his pockets in search of more money.

"I'm broke," he commented before the game even started. Chuckles laughed at his predicament as he set the cards down and went through his pockets as well. The smile on his face disappeared the moment he realized that he too was out of money.

"What now?" Grumpy questioned, they couldn't play without money to bet with.

"Strip poker?" Happy suggested jokingly.

"Done," Chuckles replied almost immediately.

Grumpy shot a glare over at him the moment he realized why he wanted to play strip poker. He turned to look at Monica and started to tell her that she didn't have to play. The words never left his mouth; she was staring straight ahead at the clown who refused to break his gaze from her own as well.

"Ya' don't have to play, beautiful," the Joker replied, his smile stretching even more as she stared back defiantly at him. She hated it when he poked and prodded at her, testing her constantly to see if she would back out of a situation.

"Deal the cards, Hap," she ordered, staying seated as Grumpy began to protest.

"Seriously you don't have-"

"I said, 'deal'," she repeated, glaring at Happy who had hesitated at first. Shock ran through her when the clown prince of crime walked over chuckling to himself and sat down beside Happy. The goon froze when he felt his boss sit down beside him; if he messed anything up he would have a blade running through him before he could blink.

Grumpy stared at the pair nervously; it was bad enough that Monica was playing. With the Joker in the mix something was bound to go wrong.

After five minutes Monica cursed and dropped her cards face down onto the table. The clown grinned back at her and placed his calmly over her own. He had a full house; it beat everything else that had been set down. The biker realized that playing had probably been a bad idea; she wasn't going to back out now though.

She rose and took off her jacket before throwing it aside with an irritated sigh. Grumpy followed suit and tossed his jacket over the armrest of the couch.

"Shit," Happy whispered realizing that he had no jacket on. He resorted to taking off his shirt followed by Chuckles who shivered when he realized how cold the room really was. The goons that had been watching the group play shook their heads at the men. Going up against the Joker in a game of poker was the most illogical thing they could have done.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Monica exclaimed after the second game was over, she had just lost again. The clown grinned back at her without saying a word. Grumpy cursed underneath his breath and removed his shirt after a moment of hesitation. Monica glanced down and realized that she still had her boots on. With a triumphant smile she reached down and slipped them off before dangling them in front of the clown's face.

Happy and Chuckles glanced at each other before removing their belts and sitting back down. Things weren't looking too good for any of them. The Joker merely stared at them with calculative eyes; he still had his clothing intact.

Monica glanced around and found herself surrounded by the clown's topless goons. She wasn't surprised when she saw their physique. They had to keep in shape if they were to work for the clown, running around in alleys at night and busting into places had to help as well. The one that got the most reaction from her was Grumpy, she could see every muscle flex whenever her moved or shifted.

"This is bad," Chuckles commented after they had lost for the third time that night. He stared at Monica as she threw her cards on the table with a defeated look on her face.

"You can leave, doll, no one is keeping you here," the clown commented, clicking his tongue with the knowledge that it annoyed her whenever he did it.

Monica stood up with a look of outrage on her face before reaching down and pulling her shirt over her head. She threw it down at his feet with an irritated sigh and sat back down next to Grumpy, she tried to calm her nerves by breathing in slowly. Happy elbowed Chuckles when he caught the goon staring at Monica before throwing him a warning look. She was off bounds; they all knew that by now.

The biker found herself seething as she took the two cards that she had been dealt and sunk back into the couch. An innocent game of poker had turned into a blood feud between her and the clown that had left her wearing nothing but her black bra and pants.

Chuckles and Happy were both reduced to nothing but black boxers as the next game started.

"Jesus Christ, finally!" Monica exclaimed in relief as she placed her cards on the table, she had four aces and a king. The clown had two pairs and the rest had nothing but one pair.

"Leave," the Joker ordered glancing at his goons. They all got up without a word as the clown shed his purple coat with ease. He sat back down and shuffled the deck carefully as Monica watched his every move. She could feel the couch beside her shift as Grumpy got up to retrieve his clothes. She didn't pay attention to the goons as they all left the apartment. She had a feeling that this had been what the clown wanted all along, she didn't care, she would end up winning not him.

"Don't let it go to your pretty little head, beautiful," the clown warned her as she grabbed her cards and looked at them carefully. She had a queen and a jack, nothing too glorious to begin with. Her eyes trailed up to the Joker's face, he remained expressionless as he looked at his cards.

After a few seconds she stared down at the cards on the table and then at her own once more.

"You lose," she stated as she dropped her hand and grinned proudly, she had two pairs. The Joker undid his vest calmly and placed it beside him carefully. Of course he had lost; he had allowed her to win. This was his game; if he had wanted to he would have won the past two games.

Monica found herself wondering why she had indulged the clown with one last game of poker before she left. She owed nothing to him; she could have left if she wanted to. Perhaps it was the rush that came with beating him at his own game. Perhaps it was for her own amusement, she didn't know the answer anymore.

By the time they had finished the fifth game Monica found herself grinning proudly as the clown pulled his gloves off with his teeth. He hadn't planned on letting her win that hand; with less and less clothes it was getting harder and harder to conceal the cards that he had hidden in his coat. He wasn't going to allow her to win one more hand, her winning streak ended now.

"Where's Harley?" Monica asked as she watched him shuffle the deck. The clown glanced up at her briefly before returning his attention to the deck.

"She's taking a vacation in the, uh, hospital," the clown replied with a grin that would have made a madman proud. Monica tensed when she got his meaning and wondered what Harley had done wrong to earn herself a trip to the hospital again. "Where's Brucey-boy?" the clown asked casually as Monica turned her piercing gaze onto him.

"Why?" she asked defensively, her body tense as he continued to shuffle the deck.

"I would keep an eye on him, we wouldn't want him to end up like-ah," he paused briefly, he could feel a smile tugging at the edges of his lips, "the cop." Monica snapped when she heard him and pounced on him in the blink of an eye. How would he know of her brother? She hadn't mentioned anything to him or any of his goons, the only other way he could have found out was if he had something to do with Dante's death.

The cards in the clown's hand cascaded around them as she pinned him down onto the couch with a hand wrapped around his neck. She straddled his waist and started to apply pressure. The clown beneath her started to laugh at her attempt at inflicting pain onto him; she could feel his chest rumble with every cackle that left his scarred lips.

"Did you have anything to do with that?" she questioned with a snarl as he continued to laugh at her. This had never been a part of his plan but he wasn't going to complain either. The look that she was directing at him only amused him instead of inspiring fear.

"If I wanted him dead," the clown choked, reaching for her waist before she realized what he was doing, "I would have killed him myself." Before she could even register what had happened she felt his hands grip her waist and raise her off of him. They crashed down onto the wooden floor below in a matter of seconds. Their roles had been flipped, she now had the clown on top of her, his mere weight managed to keep her pinned to the ground.

Monica let out a pitiful groan of pain when she felt her leg bang up against the coffee table next to them. The Joker grinned when he heard her and rose her arms above her head with one of his own.

"Don't go pointing fingers until you know who killed who, beautiful," he whispered to her shaking his finger in front of her face. Monica growled at him from her defenseless position beneath him before nipping at his hand like a wild animal. He pulled away before she had a chance to actually bite him with a satisfied look on his face.

She was nothing like Harley. The ex-psychologist would have been cowering in fear beneath him while uttering excuses and pleas.

"Consider this my apology then," Monica barked before head butting him. The clown groaned as his vision became unfocused with the force of the hit. He released her hands for a brief moment, enough for her to use them against him, and shook his head trying to clear his mind and senses. Monica sat up, using the temporary distraction to her advantage, and managed to push the clown back onto his back for a few moments.

"Did I mention the thing about the fight in you already?" he groaned as she hovered above him with a look of disgust directed at him. His eyes remained closed, there wouldn't be much difference if he opened them, his vision had gone black for a few moments. He was aware of the pain, however, and he would have been lying if he said it didn't make him feel alive. It had been a while since he had run into the Bat and he had started to miss their usual scraps, for now this was all he had.

"You did," she replied as she reached for her shirt which rested behind his head. She pulled it harshly and enjoyed the sound that his skull made when it made contact with the floor beneath him. The thought of having him powerless beneath her appealed to her greatly. Her mind screeched to a halt when it processed the last thought over and over again. Wrong, it sounded so wrong now that she thought of it. Before she could do or think of anything else she rose quickly and slipped her shirt on with haste.

She could see the clown sit up out of the corner of her eye, he would be fine in a couple of seconds, she needed to get out of there. Her boots were slipped on rapidly and her hand reached over for the bag that she had come to retrieve.

The Joker merely laid back down when the pounding in his head got worse; he didn't have anything to do anyways. People were harder to find so going out and slaughtering a few was out of the question, it would probably take more energy than what he wanted to waste.

He smirked to himself when her phone went off just as she reached for the doorknob. Monica cursed and picked it up quickly realizing that the lyrics fit a bit too much to her current predicament.

"_I want your horror,_

_I want your design,_

'_Cause you're a criminal,_

_As long as you're mine,_

_I want your love…"_

The melody cut off as soon as she answered the call and slammed the door shut behind her. Sighing, she made her way down the hall quickly, wishing to be as far away from the clown as she possibly could.

"Hello?" she asked as she waited for the dialer to answer. She was relieved to hear Beelzebub's voice on the other line. The sooner she got back to her clubhouse the better; at least she could put her ordeal with the Joker behind her.

Before she could even reply she felt someone hit the back of her head with something hard. She stumbled forward slightly before going down on her knees and reaching back to where she had felt the blow. Her bloodied hand smeared the wall beside her as she tried to keep herself up, she could hardly register her surroundings.

A pair of unfamiliar boots appeared in front of her followed by several voices, all in German. Her face paled when she recalled the men that had abused her months before, they had also spoken German. She fell forward with a dull thud as one of the men reached over and picked her up.

Why were they doing this to her?

Had they been hired by someone to kill her?

Her half lidded eyes registered the same 'SS' tattoo on the man's neck as the ones that had been on the men that raped her. He threw her over his shoulder while another picked up her bag and her shattered phone. They ignored the blood smear that she had left on the wall as they made their way quickly down the hall before anyone noticed that they had taken her.

Monica tried to keep conscious, she was aware that things were about to go to hell once more. Her body ended up giving in but not before she uttered two words laced with horror and desperation.

"Not again."

**And so the mob steps into the picture, I kinda miss them, ya know? Italians, Russians, Germans, you gotta have variety! Anyway, thank you to all of those who have reviewed so far, you guys are the only thing that keeps me going! So, need I say more? Review! :D**


	38. Getting Out

**Getting Out **

**A/N: How long has it been? I apologize to all of you! D: I feel as if this chapter could go really well with you guys or really bad, it all depends on how you read and interpret it I guess. Anyway, here are the side notes: **

**slashersister: Like you said, this time she will actually fight back :D**

**AmberRedRose: Let me know how I did with this chapter, I hope I didnt dissapoint, Im glad you like it so far! **

**TheCleverGirl: You'll get to learn about their pasts dont worry ;D I finally got it all planned out :)**

**shadowboxing: It's not that far out of the question if you really think about it, he's the safest choice out of the two ;)**

**LaurenvBelladonna: Im glad I did, because honestly, the Joker is amazing :D**

**Random Person 94: He will dont worry, Im not done with him just yet!**

**leyah: Oh yes, they shall, Im glad you like it :D**

**ZenyZootSuit: I couldnt agree more XD and dont worry they'll get closer over the next chapters!**

**Bella2286 : You're right, once her gang finds out they'll want blood :D Ah, the possibilities XD**

**RosalieRowan: You can never go wrong with a little bit of Dutch in the mix ;D**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Thanks, love. :D**

**AnonymouslyJoker: Im still not too sure about her, but perhaps she'll make a small appearance XD**

**ChidorixCixBritannia: I think she's far from sweet now XD But it's all revealed in this chapter. **

**Cloudy Momochi: Trust me, its 12 over here when Im updating this and I too have school in the morning. Im going to shoot myself when my alarm goes off -_-**

**BobSwag: Here it is! Sorry for not updating sooner, I tried to make it a little longer to make up for that so let me know what you thought ;D**

**Jmel2: They're definatly gonna pop in here and there so you can look forward to that XD**

** : Oh yes, he is pissed XD **

**LivinJgrl123: Im glad you like my goons :D And I try to update as often as I can although school often gets in the way I dont know how Im going to get up tomorrow, I stayed up late just to update because I felt like crap for not updating last week -_- Im glad you enjoy the chapters though, its reviews like yours that keep me going, so thank you my dear. :D**

"I want her back in an hour," the Joker ordered, turning from the bloodstain on the wall. The crimson that stained his gloves when he had run a hand over it bothered him. He couldn't explain why, he was used to seeing blood by now. It should be nothing new to him by now.

Grumpy glanced back nervously at the rest of the goons who adverted their gaze elsewhere. They were all doomed. Bring her back in under an hour? How were they supposed to do that when they didn't even know where she was?

The Joker's weary brown eyes never left the red smear; he could distinguish the blurs of his goons as they all rushed past him to get to the cars outside. With a tired sigh he turned away and headed towards the apartment once more.

Several grenades and two guns were hidden in his coat as he slipped it on and rolled his shoulders. After making sure that all of his goons had left he took his time in examining her apartment. Room after room left him with little to no hints as to who had taken her.

Creaking reached his ears the moment he opened the door to her bedroom with the tip of his shoe. He could feel himself sneer, why hadn't he looked in here first? Being this careless and aloof didn't sit well with him when he was usual sharp and the first to solve something.

"Let's see what you've been hiding, doll," he chuckled to himself as he turned her room upside down. The nightstand on the side of her bed was emptied over her bed. Nothing but bills stared back at him.

There was something that he wasn't catching on to and his mood was beginning to drop. He moved on to her closet and after discarding every piece of clothing to the floor he came out empty handed.

An idea popped in his head as he moved forward and lifted the mattress off of the bed. The next thing to follow it was the very frame of the bed. Once it had been discarded to the side rather carelessly the clown found himself grinning like a child who had just found a stash of candy. There before his eyes was a black box with an eagle on it.

After realizing that it was locked he pulled out one of the pistols that had been hidden in his coat and shot the lock off. He crouched with a tired groan and opened it with anticipation.

"So this is it," he hummed as his gloved hand reached inside and pulled out a uniform. He recognized the trademark 'SS' patch that had been carefully sewn into the collar of the jacket.

"Who was in the army, doll?" he asked as he set the jacket aside and reached inside once more. He pulled out a general's hat with the skull and crossbones on the middle black band and an eagle on the top. He twirled it around in his finger briefly slightly troubled by what he was uncovering.

"You're in deep with the sharks, beautiful," he realized, although he couldn't connect what he had found with Monica. Why did she have all of this? It was clear that she hadn't been a part of the Nazi army, where had she gotten all of this from?

He tossed the hat aside after a few more moments of entertaining himself with it. A few more items were pushed aside after that until he reached the bottom and pulled out a picture.

It was an old man sitting on the front steps of a large house with the SS hat on. An equally old woman stood behind him, supporting herself on the black railing of the house with one hand while the other remained on the shoulder of the man. The thing that got his attention, however, was the couple that stood beside them.

His eyes narrowed at the man who stood beside the old Nazi, the smile on his face directed at the woman whom he had his arm around. The clown's eyes trailed over to her and analyzed her carefully. The bright yellow dress that she had on contrasted sharply with the overall monotone tint of the picture. A small pink blanket wrapped around something in her arms seemed to hold his attention the longest. She held a baby in her arms, a smiling black haired baby, who had its arms outstretched towards her father with apparent joy.

"This was you," he realized as the pressure that he was using to hold the picture increased. Her grandfather had been the Nazi, not her father. The Joker stopped for a moment and tried to process everything that he had just discovered. Why would the Nazi's want her now?

For a reason he couldn't even explain to himself he kept the picture and stored it in his coat. He reached inside of the box desperately searching for more hints before stopping altogether. Since when did he care about her wellbeing? He was rushing himself and out of experience he knew that taking things too fast only led to mistakes being made.

The Nazis in Gotham, however, were not to be taken lightly. They overpowered the Italians and were of the same caliber as the Russians. One wrong word or move and they would wipe out entire gangs and mobs.

The Joker continued after a few more moments and cursed when his hand wrapped around a pile of letters. He cut the black ribbon that held them all together and skimmed through the first one.

'I have to get out,' was a word that was repeated over and over again by someone with fine cursive. 'I don't want this life for my family…for you,' and 'they won't let me out,' were other phrases that caught his attention. The more he read the more he started to understand her predicament.

Her father had wanted out since the beginning. It was clear that he was appalled with anything related to the Germans and he often wrote to Monica who lived in Germany at that time. Her responses also made it clear that she supported his decision; she was ashamed of her bloodline ever since she found out about her grandfather's involvement in WWII.

The last letter, however, was the one that made him realize why she had been taken.

"_I've tried everything, liebe._

_Everything._

_Every day it becomes more and more difficult for us to run. Your mother is tired of running, tired of lying, tired of hiding. I fear that our time is running out. _

_They voiced their outrage when they heard of our marriage. I've broken every rule, defied their orders, and voiced my stand for the last time. _

_They will kill me for spitting on their sacred code. _

_I cannot live like this any longer; I am tired of having to hide your mother from them. Why should I when she is the best thing that ever happened to me? Why should it matter that she does not have Aryan blood running through her veins?_

_Do not come to the United States, liebe. Once they find out about you and your brother I fear that they will want you dead as well. _

_Take care of each other, cherish every moment, and never hide your true self from those around you. _

_I have tried everything, liebe. _

_Everything. _

_But I fear that our battle is lost. _

_Do not let them find out about you. _

_Ich liebe dich, _

_Bruno."_

The letter revealed everything to him. He knew why she had come to Gotham; she had gone against her father's wishes for a chance to see him one last time. He knew why she had been so keen on laying low, and he knew why she had been taken from him, the Nazis had finally discovered her. He cursed her for being so stupid; they would kill her if he didn't find her.

Something was bothering him, however. How had they found her? How did they know where she lived and when had they known the right time to strike?

The clown stored the letter in his coat as well before rising and kicking the box aside. She was stupid, how dare she hide something like this from him? Did she honestly think she could keep it hidden forever? That it wouldn't come back to haunt her?

"Foolish child," the clown snarled as he stormed out of her room and slammed the door shut. On his way out he picked up her motorcycle keys that had been left in the hall and blew the glass door down leading outside with several shots.

Glass cracked beneath his shoes as he grit his teeth and pulled out his phone and called his goons. He knew where she was, getting her out would prove to be a problem. She was going to pay dearly once he had her back, she wouldn't be able to walk for a week by the time he was done with her. He was wasting time on getting her back when he could be using it to carry out his plans for Gotham and the Bat.

He hung up as soon as the last thought ran through his mind.

The Bat.

Considering all of his options through he dialed another number and waited for the man to answer.

"Bats," the clown laughed, dragging out the 's' when the caped crusader answered. "Now, is that any way to talk to the only man who knows where your squeeze is?" he added once the dark knight started to demand where he had gotten the number from.

Bruce was utterly bewildered when the phone he reserved for Gordon rang. It was the commissioner's only way of contacting the infamous Batman whenever and emergency arose. He was the only one who the number.

"What did you just say?" Bruce hissed over the line as the clown's smile widened considerably. He had the Bat just where he wanted him.

"She, uh, got in deep with some unscrupulous characters-ah," the clown replied with a light laugh trying to picture the dark knight's face at the moment.

Bruce on the other hand was seething at the criminal on the other line. It had been a week since he had seen Monica and she had seemed fine to him then. Now, it was a criminal who had called him in order to inform him of her latest predicament.

Why hadn't she said anything to him when he had been with her?

"Where is she?" Bruce demanded, altering his voice so that he sounded like the Batman the clown as used to hearing.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he could hard the clown say with a chuckle, "ask nicely and I'll tell ya." The Joker couldn't have been more amused, till now he had never had a reason to call the Bat. He tossed one of his knives up in the air and concentrated on catching it every time it came down.

"Where is she, Joker?" Bruce snarled getting up from the couch he had been sitting down on. He headed towards the stairs but not before alerting Alfred of the situation by covering the speaker of the phone so the clown wouldn't hear.

"Rich part of town, Bats," the clown replied as he glanced at her motorcycle and then at the keys in his hand. It had been a while since he had actually ridden one, he wondered if he still could.

"Where?" the caped crusader demanded as he ascended the stairs in his mansion with panic apparent in his eyes. Whatever Monica had gotten herself into had to be pretty bad in order to have the clown call him.

"Aryan brotherhood, Bats," the clown answered before hanging up. A cold chill ran up his back as he mounted the motorcycle and paused before revving it up. This was a bad idea, he could already tell. He didn't have the energy or the time to steal a car, however.

He knew the Bat would be there, Monica meant too much for him to just brush the call off. With that thought he cracked his neck and stared at the road ahead before releasing the break and skidding onto the road.

"You better not be dead, doll."

OoOoOoO

"Vake up, liebe," a woman's voice spoke softly.

Monica tried to open her eyes, everything was blurred. The moment she woke up she realized she was being suspended upside down by a chain that was wrapped around one of her ankles.

A pained groan left her lips when she reached back in order to feel the back of her head. Nothing but dry blood greeted her fingers; she pulled her hand back in fear and whipped her head from side to side in order to see where she was. All that got her was a head splitting headache.

"Where am I?" she asked, the chances of anyone actually bothering to answer extremely slim. Slowly but surely her panic started to rise when she remembered everything that had happened before she woke up.

"Your location is unimportant," the woman replied. Monica turned towards the source and tried to see who it was. Nothing but darkness and boxes with the word 'fragile' in black over the top greeted her.

"What do you want?" Monica yelled, her arms flailing helplessly as she tried to pull herself up and free her ankle from the chain. Her body was having none of that. The moment she looked up at her half exposed stomach she realized why. An assortment of bruises stared back at her; they hadn't wasted any time in starting her torture.

She recalled being half conscious throughout the whole thing. There had been five of them; of that much she was sure. When they realized that she wasn't responding to the beating any longer they had hung her up to make sure she stayed in one place when she came to.

"You should know zhis by now, liebe," the woman replied as Monica turned her head towards the source once more. Her pained expression paled when she realized who it was.

Victoria stared back at her with a straight face. Two men stood behind her with brass knuckles visible despite their arms being crossed. Monica could feel the color drain from her face when she realized that Victoria was also German, she had forgotten that little detail.

"Your vati left some things unsettled," the blond opera singer commented as she circled Monica. The moment the blond had brought up the biker to her father after the party he had shown interest in her last name. Her father had gone on about and unsettled debt for more than an hour after that. The moment Victoria had heard this she saw an opportunity to get back at Monica for embarrassing her at the party, not to mention that it would also please her father when he found out she had taken care of his problem without anyone's help.

"Leave my father out of this!" Monica barked back taking a swipe at Victoria. She was pleasantly surprised when she managed to nail the blond. Three scratches ran from Victoria's cheek to the bridge of her nose, blood was already starting to slide down her face.

"You bitch!" Victoria shrieked brining her hand up to cover the scratches with apparent pain in her eyes. Monica smiled at her before she was rendered unconscious once more when one of the men took a swing at her with the brass knuckles.

"She takes after her father," the other commented as he stared at the biker. He could see blood dripping down from the corner of her mouth and onto the floor beneath her.

"I don't care, my father vants her dead!" Victoria screeched taking the gun from the man's waist. She pointed it at the unconscious woman and pulled the trigger just as a batarang hit her hand and altered the path of the bullet.

Victoria dropped her mouth open in horror when realized that she had killed one of her own men. She turned her head towards the intruder and sneered when she realized that it was Gotham's own caped crusader.

She cursed and turned away to run but not before calling the surrounding guards for back up. In mere seconds the warehouse was filled with neo Nazis, each equipped with AK-47's and spare magazines. With that kind of cover she managed to make her getaway, she would have her revenge as soon as she got to her father's safe house and informed him of the events that had occurred.

Batman growled when he noticed the woman, it was none other than Victoria. He had a feeling that the opera singer would want her revenge ever since that night at the masquerade party. He would have never guessed that she would turn to this.

Without another moment of thought he sent several more batarangs towards the lights that hung above him. The warehouse was filled with nothing but darkness.

Batman turned and headed for cover when the first of the guards neared his location, for now the only thing he could do was take care of them before they had a chance to harm Monica.

A loud bang form the back of the warehouse startled him, however, when he saw one of the guards fly back due to the force of the shotgun that had been fired onto him. He crashed into one of the crates and managed to shatter the wood of it before falling back and sputtering blood. A mass of woodshavings and more AK-47's spewed out of the crate.

The dark knight narrowed his eyes at this development. Why would they need more guns, better yet where were they getting them from?

"This suit was clean when I arrived," the clown complained as he stepped over the body of the dead guard. The Bat couldn't explain his feelings toward the Joker at the moment, he was relieved that he had stopped the guard but at the same time outraged at his lack of care towards life.

"Bats you're gonna get yourself killed if you just stand there," the clown sang mockingly, waving his finger from side to side at the caped crusader. Batman seemed to understand him before he turned and disappeared once more in order to get rid of the remaining guards that kept flooding into the warehouse. It didn't cross his mind at the moment that he was leaving the Joker with Monica.

"Come on, wake up, beautiful," the Joker hissed, smacking her cheek harshly with the back of his hand. She started to stir once more and before the clown knew what hit him she had landed a punch to the side of his face. He stumbled back with a groan and glared up at her.

Monica cursed when she realized what she had just done. She hadn't known that it was him until it was too late; she had thought that it was one of the guards. Looking around, however, she realized that they were all dead.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled when she saw the clown crack his nose back into place. He wiped the blood away from his chin with his sleeve before he moved forward once more and took a gun that had been discarded on the floor.

Monica flinched when she saw him point it directly at her. For a brief moment her breath seemed to hitch, she closed her eyes and waited for him to pull the trigger. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the shot and the chain around her ankle gave away.

She felt herself fall and closed her eyes waiting for her body to hit the ground beneath her. Much to her relief and shock she felt a pair of arms catch her.

"You are heavier than you look, doll," the clown complained as he set her down and reached back with his hand to hold his lower back. He faked a look of pain as she rolled her eyes at him and tried to recover from everything that had happened in a matter of seconds.

The Joker didn't even give her a chance to recover for much longer. He seized her wrist and pulled her towards the back while keeping her low the moment bullets started to fly in the warehouse. Monica wondered why they weren't shooting at them but at someone else. She was about to ask when the clown shoved her outside and slammed the door behind him. The last thing he needed was for her to find out that the Bat was the one that was being left behind. That had been his plan all along. Leaving the caped crusader at the warehouse would buy them some time.

Relief filled her when she noticed her motorcycle was parked a few feet away. Her brows furrowed when some scratches on the side of it caught her attention. She turned to ask the clown about them before she caught a sight of his torn sleeve and bloody shoulder.

She put two and two together and realized that he had probably run into some hired men on his way there. The chances that he had crashed and fallen off would have been extremely high if that had happened.

Ignoring her own thoughts she turned towards the door when it was kicked open and several men rushed out towards them. She ran over to her motorcycle and caught the keys and the clown threw then at her.

Within the blink of an eye she had revved it up and pulled him down onto it when she realized that he had taken out his own gun to shoot at the men.

"Now is not the time, we're outnumbered and out of our element," she snarled at him as the clown found himself nodding back. Before he could even steady himself she released the break and drove out of the parking lot.

The Joker found himself out of balance as she turned a corner sharply and increased the speed. Without even thinking about it he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady himself while the other held the gun in anticipation. It was only a matter of time before they caught up to them.

"Hold the handles," Monica called back to him as he hesitated for a few moments. What the hell was she planning?

Nevertheless he reached around her and gripped the handles just as she let go of them and maneuvered her body so she was sitting on top of him and looking over his shoulder. It would be better this way, if she had him looking back and shooting at them it would throw their balance off and make it harder to steer the bike.

"I've had enough of their Aryan bullshit," she growled as she reached inside of his coat. She knew that he kept several guns and grenades hidden there, it was just a matter of time until she found one. The clown on the other hand tensed the moment she felt her hands roaming over his body. He wasn't used to contact with her but he couldn't be bothered with it when he alone controlled the high speeding motorcycle. One wrong move would send both of them crashing onto the ground.

Monica smiled against his shoulder when her hand wrapped around a small machine gun. She pulled it out and aimed it at the black van that had just turned sharply towards them. Despite the tinted windows she could tell that there were several men inside. Her suspicions were confirmed when two of them pointed their guns at her through the windows.

She didn't hesitate and let loose a stream of bullets at them. Even as she saw one of the men fall back against the seat with a bullet in his head she felt no remorse. They had wronged her for the last time; it was her chance to get back at them for everything they had taken from her.

The Joker merely glanced sideways at her; he was stunned at the obvious joy that was shown on her face as she continued to shoot at the van.

"You got any grenades or just puppies in here?" she asked him as the clown laughed despite everything. The fact that she still held a sense of humor in this situation pleased him greatly.

"Top right pocket, doll," he replied increasing the speed in order to put some distance between them and the van. He saw as she pulled the pin with her teeth and threw the grenade at them. He counted and waited.

It went off without fail causing the van to go up in flames and flip over. A crescendo of cracking glass and scraping metal reached his ears as he felt her rest her head on his shoulder.

"That's not the last of them," Monica murmured knowing that he could hear her. The clown nodded knowing she was right. It wasn't the last they had seen of him either; he was interested in the guns that he had seen at the warehouse.

He froze, however, when she unintentionally brushed her cheek up against his in her attempt to turn back around and take control of the motorcycle. The feeling was so foreign to him that by the time that they arrived at the apartment he was still paralyzed behind her.

"Joker?" Monica questioned when she noticed that he was still holding on to her. She could see several stray criminals take interest in her; she was taking too long in getting back inside to safety.

"What?" he snapped, finally coming to his senses. He got off of the bike with an irritated sigh and shot a warning glance at the criminals who had gotten too close. Once they saw that it was none other than Gotham's clown prince of crime, however, they backed away and hid in the shadows with fear.

She watched as he stalked over to the broken glass door and stepped through it with annoyance. He let the second door slam shut behind him without a second glance back.

"Thanks for saving me," she admitted, more to herself than him. She sighed and twirled her keys as she followed after him. Tonight had proved to be more exhausting than she had thought of. All she needed were a few hours of sleep.

Her mind reminded her of how farfetched the idea was. She wasn't going to get a minute of rest.

Not with the brooding clown prince of crime in her apartment.

She sighed as she stepped into her apartment. It was odd that there were no goons around to greet or annoy her. The moment her and wrapped around the door knob to her room she realized why they weren't there.

The clown had probably gotten rid of them before he went out to look for her.

"Bastard," she murmured realizing that the Joker had locked it; he was probably sleeping on her bed at the moment without a care in the world.

She turned away from her door and collapsed onto her couch with a tired sigh. For now, it would have to do. She wasn't about to go and knock on her door and demand for him to open it. She didn't want a death wish just yet.

The last words that escaped her lips, however, kept running through her mind even as she fell asleep.

"Damn clown."

**Review, or I will take a month to update! Just kidding, I'll update next week, adieu my dears :D**


	39. Tequila

** Tequila**

**A/N: So tired...I dont even have the strength to type a proper author's note. I seriously dont know about this chapter my dear readers, I was half asleep when I wrote it so dont lynch me if you dont like it. I apologize before hand, maybe if I have time I'll go back and revise it. Enjoy!**

Happy waltzed through the living room as they entered the apartment and tossed the bag that he had been carrying onto the couch. He heard a small cough seconds before he realized that there had been someone resting on it.

The force of the heavy bag hitting her stomach caused Monica to bolt straight up. Sweat ran down her temple, her eyes unfocused as she looked around in panic. Grumpy smacked Happy harshly before crouching by her side with concern.

"Nightmare, darling?" he asked in a hushed whisper, running a hand up and down her back comfortingly. All Monica could do was nod in response. A sigh escaped through her lips as dropped her head and rested it on his shoulder.

'I'm going to shoot you,' Grumpy mouthed as Happy walked away with a frightened look on his face. Monica pulled away from him without saying another word and stood up. She needed to leave, staying and sleeping had been a bad idea. The nightmare that she had just been woken up from proved it.

"I need a drink," she mumbled to herself.

More importantly, she needed to leave.

She wasn't welcome there anymore; the clown had made it perfectly clear. The sooner she got out the better. A pang of guilt ran through her when she closed the door behind her without giving Grumpy or the other goons an explanation.

She rushed down the stairs and jumped the last couple of steps before landing in a painful crouch. Out, she needed to get out. She needed to get away from everything and everyone before she went insane, she was close already.

The moment she opened the newly fixed door, however, all of her thoughts screeched to a halt. Chocolate eyes collided against icy blue, blond hair crashed against black.

"Why are you here?" Harley asked, her high pitched tone irritating Monica as she stepped away from the harlequin. The blond was far too close for comfort; the last thing she wanted was to fight the clown's henchgirl.

"Move out of my way," Monica warned her. The biker could see her motorcycle a few feet away. She could already feel a headache coming on as the blond continued to stab eye daggers into her.

"What were you doing in there?" she asked trying to get answers out of Monica. The pesky woman kept coming up again and again. Harley merely wondered why the clown hadn't gotten rid of her yet. He had her right? His right hand man or woman in this case. Why the hell was the biker still alive when she was no longer needed?

"Move or I'll give you a beating that will make the Joker's pale in comparison," Monica snarled, the vein on her neck popping out as her nerves were shot. It was late, she hadn't slept or eaten in a while, and the infuriating psychologist in front of her wouldn't stand aside.

Harley considered her options and slowly stepped out of the doorway. She had just gotten out of the hospital, the last thing she needed was another visit.

"Why does he still keep you close?" Harley whispered, more to herself than to the other woman.

"I don't know, Harley," Monica replied as she brushed past the blond, eager to leave the apartment behind, "ask him yourself."

The harlequin followed the other woman with a fixed glare. Monica on the other hand paid little to no attention at her attempts to intimidate her.

She mounted her bike with a pleased expression on her face. The moment she heard the familiar rumbling beneath her she felt her shoulders relax and her muscles ease.

"Go and cry to daddy already, Harley," Monica scoffed, noticing that the harlequin hadn't moved from the doorway, "send him after me, we'll see where that gets you."

Without another word she turned the bike around and skid into the nearest street, grateful to be away from the blond if only for a moment. Monica knew that wasn't the last time she was going to see her, she only prayed that the harlequin would wait a day or two before she bothered her again.

"I really need a drink," she commented to herself, irritated that she hadn't managed to get one in due to the obstacles that kept getting in her way. Combing through her memory she recalled the perfect club to crash at for the night, it was one of the many that her gang controlled so she wouldn't have to worry about any rival gangs showing up unexpectedly.

After an hour-long drive she passed through the doorway of the club and headed over to the bar near the back. She sat down on the only empty stool that remained and ordered a shot of tequila.

The golden liquid rushed down her throat as she downed it in a single gulp. Comfort settled over her when the familiar burning sensation of the liquor remained on her tongue. Her brief moment of peace was soon cut short when the bartender tapped her on the shoulder and motioned towards a person in the crowd.

Blond hair met her gaze before it disappeared amongst the sea of dancers. Monica could only pray that it was her imagination playing tricks on her; she wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone tonight.

"You've got to be fucking with me, it hasn't even been a day," she growled, her eyes shooting towards the source to see if it was the person she thought it was. She resisted the urge to bang her head against the bar in front of her when she saw Harley making her way through the crowd towards her.

"Mistah J, wants to see ya'," she spat turning to leave as soon as she delivered his message.

"Tell 'Mistah J' to go and throw himself off of a building for all I care," Monica hissed, ordering another shot. Harley turned without saying another word and headed towards the front of the club once more. Monica was pleasantly surprised when the blond didn't return. She didn't feel capable of handling the Joker tonight and after three more shots she didn't think she was even capable of driving herself back to her clubhouse.

"Slow down, doll," the clown's voice whispered into her ear just as she was raising her fifth shot to her lips. Monica closed her eyes and set the glass down in front of her with a sneer on her face. How had he even gotten in? What did she pay the guards outside for?

"What do you want?" she asked, moments before his hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her form the stool. Bright flashes danced before her eyes as he led her through the crowd. She could tell that he was having a hard time hiding his painted façade from those around him; no doubt he was leading her to a more secluded area where he wouldn't be seen with her.

"Guns, doll," he replied as soon as they had some cover. Monica's head spun uncontrollably as she stared at him briefly and processed what he had just told her. It took her a while before she understood what he was asking for.

"You have guns," she replied eyeing the crowd behind him with interest. She could feel herself sway briefly; perhaps drinking all of those shots had been a bad idea. Her head snapped up to look at him with a smile once she heard him say something.

"I need more, you know the Nazis who have them, all I need are the, uh, locations of their warehouses," the Joker replied, looking around while dropping his head as a couple passed by with beer in their hands. After he made sure that his cover hadn't been blown he turned back to look at Monica.

"Can we talk about this some other time?" she asked him, tilting her head at him with amusement. It was only when he smelled the tequila on her breath that he realized what was wrong with her.

"You're drunk, aren't ya, doll?" he asked with a serious expression on his face. He sighed in irritation and looked around the club. He could see Harley near the entrance glaring at Monica and Grumpy standing near the DJ with a hidden gun in his hand. The rest of his goons were scattered throughout the crowd, it wouldn't be too hard to get her out.

Monica on the other hand continued to look at the dancers over the clown's shoulder. Their movements slowed in her vision and the music seemed intensified. The smell of cigars and liquor clouded her senses; they seemed to be the only things she could register.

Her senses seemed to come back to her for a brief moment when she spotted a familiar face amongst the crowd.

"Judas?" she whispered, looking around the clown's figure with horror. She would never mistake him for another man, it was Judas. Cursing herself for being so careless she ducked and hid using the clown's frame for cover, she could only hope that the ex-biker hadn't seen her.

How had he managed to find her? Someone from the club must have called him, she would have to look into that issue later, the traitor would pay dearly when she found him.

He was bad news, word had gotten to her that he was working with the neo Nazis that she had run into the previous day. If he called them and let them know that she was there all hell would break loose and she would surely get herself killed.

Fear started to rise within her, she was in no state to fight, she could barely manage a punch in her current condition. Her eyes darted towards the Joker for a moment as she eyed Judas and caught him looking over at her.

She was caught between the two men; she had to pick her poison.

Judas or Joker?

The moment she caught the ex-biker walking through the crowd towards her, however, her mind made the decision.

She stepped forward and grabbed a hold of the clown's purple coat before she rose to her tip toes and crashed her lips onto his own.

The clown could practically taste the tequila on her lips as she kissed him. Monica's mind tried to convince her that she was making the right choice. She hoped that if Judas believed that she was with the clown he would back off like everyone else had done.

The Joker caught a sight of her panicked eyes looking at someone behind him before he growled in the back of his throat and slammed her up against the wall behind her. Monica gasped at the pain that shot up her spine before she felt the clown's arms constrict around her waist.

Unbeknownst to her, he had caught a sight of several aristocrats on his way in. He knew they would run to Bruce once they saw her with him. Having Bruce mad at his squeeze was too good of an opportunity to pass up; she would lose the only person that she could count on in the city.

Monica caught a sight of Harley's jaw dropping open in shock before she felt a smile creep onto her lips. She captured the clown's scarred lips once more before she found him kissing back. The taste and smell of his makeup only seemed to increase her dizziness further. She closed her eyes and gave in knowing that it was impossible to go back now.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, however, a part of her was enjoying this. As much as she tried to restrain herself she found her hand slipping through his green tinted hair and gripping it harshly. The clown couldn't stop the pleasured growl that escaped through his lips when she tugged on his hair, the masochist inside of him enjoying the situation more than he would have liked.

Judas remained frozen in the middle of the dance floor as he saw Monica with the clown. Rage seethed within him, he wanted to beat the Joker to death. However, even he knew that causing a commotion now would harm him more in the long run.

He turned with a sneer on his face and nodded to the men who had been scattered throughout the crowd as they followed after him. His mind was already running with plans for revenge, he would make the clown pay for laying his hands on her.

Monica caught a sight of them leaving and pulled back, satisfied that her plan had worked for now.

"We're not done," the clown snarled at her as she started to move away from him. Much to her surprise he pressed her up against the wall once more and tilted her head back. Before she knew it he started to nip at the sensitive flesh on her neck.

'Oh this is bad,' Monica's mind pointed out as her face turned into a deep shade of crimson. The strange feeling of his scars brushing up against her jaw, however, distracted her from her obvious predicament. She brought one of her hands up to caress the right side of his face before a groan escaped through her lips when he bit down with more force.

"Harley," Monica slurred, feeling the liquor catching up to her once more now that Judas was gone, "what about Harley?"

The clown didn't answer her; he was too preoccupied with pulling her to him to care.

Monica's mind kept screaming at her, yelling at her that what she was doing was wrong. The moment her lips kissed the madman's scarred smile all of those thoughts flew out of the window. She could feel him stop and lean into her for a brief moment.

The idea of having Gotham's clown prince of crime in her arms appealed to her greatly. He was dangerous and unpredictable and she found herself drawn to that fact. She couldn't explain why she wanted more of it, more of him.

The Joker on the other hand was completely enjoying himself. She had been innocent until she met and crossed paths with him. The idea of tainting a pure spirit like hers was something that he wouldn't pass up, even if it got in the way with some of his others plans.

He had done it once already with Harvey, Gotham's 'White Knight', he alone had pushed the man to madness. He had broken Harleen as well, a successful psychologist, and turned her into the mad harlequin that she was to date.

He would do anything in order to break Monica, if his calculations were right that would be the last straw for the dark knight. The Bat would break as well and the clown would be there to take full credit and laugh in the caped crusader's face.

The feeling of her hand against his scars, however, had made him lose focus for a few moments. The feeling had been so foreign that he had completely frozen with her touch. Sleepless nights, little to no food, and the taste of tequila from her lips was a deadly combination for him. He didn't like the fact that she had control over him.

Not. one. bit.

Before she could go any further he pulled away from her and glanced briefly at Harley who by this time had turned away from them with a look of fury upon her face.

"Don't use me again, beautiful," the clown whispered in her ear as Monica froze beneath him. She cursed inwardly, he had figured her out. She watched as he pulled away and ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

"You're makeup is messed up," she slurred, pointing to the white that had mixed with the red from his scarred smile.

"You look worse," he added before he turned away from her. He would be back later when the effects of the tequila wore off.

Monica dropped her head and realized that she probably had white and red grease paint all over her face and neck. She turned and headed towards the back before exiting through an emergency exit. Cold air hit her straight on and only increased her headache as she paused to collect herself by leaning up against a nearby wall. She knew a hotel nearby, she would have to sleep there for the night, she had no choice but to walk there.

She ran a hand over her lips and brought it back down for her eyes to see. Red makeup-smeared fingers stared back at her under the dim alley light. She shook her head before dropping her hand and stumbling out of the alley.

"What did I get myself into?"

**Review, no seriously, it's the only thing that keeps me going. For those of you who have been reviewing, I thank you, you have no idea how much you make my day whenever you review!**


	40. I Have You

**I Have You**

**A/N: It's been so long that I feel ashamed updating it now. Things have been pretty chaotic my dears and I am currently in Mexico using a computer that isnt mine so pardon if there are any typos. This chapter isnt my best but it gets things moving for what is coming in the next one. Read and enjoy my dears!**

"They're dead," Beelzebub growled, turning to look at Monica from his position at the table. His grey eyes never left Monica's own weary orbs as she sighed and leaned back against her chair. She had lost five men in one night, something about that didn't sit well with her.

"Who found them?" she asked, twirling the revolver in her hand intently. The silver gun drew her in and eased her mind allowing her to think more clearly as the men around her gave her reports of the city.

"Gabriel, he said their faces were slashed into smiles," Micah, one of her most trusted men, replied through clenched teeth. Monica's eyes shot towards him the moment she heard this. Slashed into smiles, that seemed too familiar.

"The clown," she hissed quietly, rising from the table. Her men all shot out of their seats as she stormed over to the door of the meeting room and opened it animalistically. She slammed it shut behind her making the wall vibrate as she stormed through the bar and headed outside. How dare he slaughter her men?

Her hand wrapped around her cellphone as she pulled it out of her back pocket and dialed the clown's number angrily. She waited for him to pick up as she paced outside in the alley. The night air did little to ease her anger; she could see her breath every time she breathed out harshly.

"Mistah J. is busy right now, toots," Harley's voice informed her as she picked up the call. Monica was seeing red by then. Her knuckles turned white with the force that she was using to hold the phone to her ear.

"That son of a bitch is never too busy for me, put the damn call on speaker," Monica barked impatiently as she heard Harley fumble with the phone for a couple of seconds. After she was sure that the Joker could hear her she breathed in slowly and tried to calm herself in order to form a coherent sentence.

"We had a deal clown, five of my men are dead," she snarled through grit teeth, "they were found with their faces slashed into smiles just like your own." Monica paused, she was sure he could hear her; she had heard his voice in the background denying the deaths of her bikers. "If I see you, Harley, or any of your goons, I'll stain the streets with your blood."

She ended the call and turned towards the street with slight interest as she caught a sight of her bike parked a few feet away. The feeling that she should drive over to where they had found the bodies came over her. She wanted to see he damage that the clown had done for herself.

"Call an end to the meeting, I want you to tell Gabriel to wait until he cleans the scene," she ordered as she passed by one of her men at the door of the bar. He nodded back in understanding as she mounted her bike and drove away without informing any of her men where she was going. It was stupid, especially now, to disappear without telling anyone. She didn't care though; she needed to get back at the clown prince of crime by herself.

Gotham had grown more chaotic in the past few weeks. The number of cops was starting to drop and utter chaos erupted when the criminals that had escaped from Arkham made their presence known.

The Riddle had been laying low for a while; Monica had several men on the lookout for the orange haired man. Dante's death would be avenged one way or the other; it was just a matter of time. Bane had yet to make a scene and the clown that got a kick out of making her life a living hell had shown where he stood with her. Five of her men were dead, she should have known better than to trust the makeup covered clown.

When she reached the warehouse where they had found the bodies she sat outside for a few minutes preparing herself mentally for what she was about to see. She wasn't sure if she was ready to see what the clown could truly do. The threat that she had made would cost her dearly, the Joker wasn't one to be taken lightly. He would probably put out a price for her head, that didn't bother her though. She was tired of running and cowering like a child.

"I can do this," she whispered, placing her keys the pocket of her leather jacket. The dirty snow beneath her boots crunched as she neared the large warehouse and placed a glove covered hand on the doorknob. The door creaked as she opened it and peered inside. She sighed when she saw a trail of blood leading in towards the back where wooden crates were stacked up against the wall.

"Gabriel?" she called out, waiting for the other's response. She worried when she received nothing but silence. Something was off about the whole scene; he should have answered by now. Making her way through a maze of machinery, she jumped when her phone went off loudly and echoed around the warehouse.

"Hello?" she asked as she picked up the call without looking at the id.

"Doll, a little birdie told me you threatened her life, she won't rest until I carve your face," the Joker's voice replied through the phone. Monica's brow furrowed when she heard this. She would rather die than let the clown lay a hand on her.

"You killed my men," she replied, resuming her current task. The trail of blood was getting messier and wider, she was getting closer.

"I did no such thing-ah," he replied with annoyance in his tone. Monica snorted in amusement, of course he had, who else could it have been?

"I'm at the meat warehouse in the Narrows right now, I can see the blood everywhere, you're the only one who would do this for fun," she replied turning a corner and freezing. The bodies were laid out before her. Except for the fact that there weren't five, there were six.

"G-Gabriel?" she choked, her throat constricting as she neared her third in command. He lay on the ground beside the others; the only difference was that he was still breathing. Monica dropped the phone and rushed over to his side with a look of utter horror as she fell to her knees and covered the bleeding gashes on his cheeks. She could hear the Joker on the phone calling her; she ignored him and concentrated on the dying biker in her arms.

"J-J-Judas," Gabriel muttered, choking on his own blood. Monica's entire body froze when she heard him. Before she could do anything else Gabriel's head fell against her forearm and his breath halted. She could feel her lip quiver as she realized that she had just lost one of her best men. As quietly as she could she set him down carefully and crawled over to her phone before hiding in one of the darkened corners of the warehouse.

If Judas was still there she didn't want him to see her. Regret filled her when she realized that no one knew where she was. The clown on the other line was her only salvation now .Even then she didn't know if he would even listen to her, she had blamed him for something he hadn't done; she had even threatened him and his goons.

"Joker I need a favor," she whispered, pressing herself up against the wall in an attempt to make herself smaller. She could hear someone moving around where the bodies were, she didn't risk taking a look though, Judas horrified her. He was capable of completely maiming her men; he would tear her apart if he found her.

"A moment ago you were threatening me, beautiful," he replied loudly making her wince inwardly.

"Just-please I need you right now, I don't have anyone else," she pleaded shakily. She couldn't hear anything on the other line for a while. For a moment she even thought he had hung up on her, she felt paralyzed and helpless.

"Joker?" she asked, afraid that she would be discovered soon. Still, she got nothing but silence. Her heart was beating out of her chest; she could hear footsteps drawing near. Her eyes were clenched shut, afraid of opening them and seeing Judas.

"Joker, please," she cried quietly when the footsteps stopped a few feet away from her. Her whole body shook uncontrollably. If there was one thing that still horrified her to the point of her being unable to move it was Judas.

"Where are ya'?" she heard the clown ask. His voice sounded like heaven to her. She breathed a sigh of relief and missed the approaching footsteps as she eased her body and smiled gratefully.

"The warehouse on the corner of Aldama and Clover," she managed to reply before she felt someone hurl her up and press her up against the wall behind her. She dropped her phone again in the process and froze once more when she saw the man in front of her.

"Hello, love, I knew you would come if a couple of your precious bikers went missing," Judas murmured, making sure she couldn't move. Monica stared back with fear apparent in her eyes. He looked the same, if not more menacing than the last time she had seen him.

"Judas, let me go," she managed to choke out as he laughed lightly at her request. She could feel his chest rumble as he shook his head in amusement at her.

"Do you really think it's that easy?" he questioned as Monica tried to get free of his grip. He wasn't showing any signs of letting her go or easing the pressure. On the contrary, she could feel him constrict her throat making it difficult for her to breathe.

"You're mine," he snarled at her, shaking her to add emphasis. Monica shook her head in denial, she belonged to no one. "The clown doesn't deserve you," he added, leaning forward while Monica leaned back to avoid him.

She turned her head when he tilted his head to kiss her. Monica grimaced when she felt his lips on her neck, the higher he went the more she wanted to gather the courage to push him off. When his lips met with her own she squirmed beneath him and managed to knee him in the groin. Judas pulled back and groaned with pain while Monica took advantage of this and ran for the door.

There was no guarantee that the Joker would come for her, she wasn't going to risk her life and stay to find out. The sooner she got out the better.

"Come here!" Judas barked, reaching out for her as she rushed past. Monica cried out when she felt him grab a hold of her loose hair. He pulled back brutally causing her to fall to the ground with a harsh thud.

"No!" she screamed, kicking and throwing punches when he reached over for her. She managed to land a punch to his face, the crack that came after sent a shiver down her spine. Judas pulled back, holding his bleeding nose as he sneered at her and pulled back his hand.

Monica failed to dodge in time just as he sent a backhand to her face. The force of the hit sent her reeling several feet back before she collapsed on the ground. She had little to no time to recover before a kick to her stomach caused her to skid back and hit several boxes behind her.

"Judas, please-" she begged desperately, holding out one hand in the hopes that he would have mercy on her. Instead he kicked her once more causing her to spit out blood and hold her side with pain. He crouched and picked her up before landing another blow to her face, Monica groaned when he own nose cracked and started to ooze out blood.

She stumbled back and held on to one of the crates for support before Judas stalked over to her and hurled her towards the back door. Monica felt her body collide with the ground seconds before she was kicked once more.

Her mind kept warning her that if he didn't stop soon he would end up killing her. She used whatever energy she had left to crawl towards the door. Freedom was so close and yet her weak body didn't allow her to stand up and run towards it.

She closed her eyes and tried to ease the pain that she felt running through her beaten body. Judas was already walking towards her to finish beating her to death for denying him. This was it, it was over.

"Boy, you lack technique," a familiar voice chuckled as the door behind her opened. Cold air rushed in and hit her bruised back, "Just look at that broken nose, it's a mess!" the clown laughed. Monica managed to pick her head up to see him step over her body while twirling a black bat in his hand.

"You're dead!" Judas snarled, lunging at the clown ready to kill him for everything he had taken from him. The Joker on the other hand rolled his shoulders in anticipation and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. He looked back at Monica and winked reassuringly before he turned towards Judas who was about to reach him before he stepped out of the way. The biker tripped over Monica's body and turned as he fell to curse at the clown who had gotten out of the way just in time. Monica on the other hand merely winced when she felt Judas fall on top of her.

The Joker kicked the other man off of Monica with a sneer on his face and stepped over her before he straddled Judas' waist. He placed the bat in his hands against the biker's throat and pushed down animalistically.

"Let's put a smile on that face!" he cackled maniacally as he rose and stepped on Judas' body as he moved away and pulled the biker along by his jacket. Judas groaned trying to register what was happening before he felt the clown kick his side monstrously. He yelled in pain as the Joker pulled back and kicked him again; one by one he could hear his ribs cracking.

"Let's put an end to this game, shall we?" the clown hissed, his smile wide as Judas shook his head pathetically and tried to speak. No words came out; he was in too much pain to make his body function properly.

The clown chuckled to himself before twirling the bat once more and brining it down on Judas' face. The biker spit out blood and couldn't stop the screams of pain that escaped through his lips when the clown brought the bat back down over and over again.

Monica rose her head once more when she didn't hear Judas' screams anymore. Her horrified eyes met with the clown's own pair when he turned and walked over towards her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Come on, doll," he whispered picking her up carelessly. Monica grimaced when he picked her up but breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't toss her over his shoulder like all the previous times. Instead, he carried her in his arms while she merely buried her face in the crook of his neck.

She needed this, needed him. The comfort of having a criminal willing to kill for her was the only thing that kept her alive in Gotham. If it hadn't been for him Judas would have killed her. She had no doubt, however, that he would want something in return, guns perhaps or some of her men. She had heard that he war running low on goons recently. It didn't matter, he could have whatever he wanted, he had taken care of Judas, that was all she cared about.

The clown on the other hand, merely enjoyed the feeling of her blood staining his clothes. The more she shed the better; red had always been one of his favorite colors. The crimson liquid pleased him greatly, especially when it came from other people, he was a sadist at heart.

Monica barely registered when he set her down in one of his escalades before he entered himself. The last thing she registered before everything went black was her head falling into his lap and his gloved hand stroking her blood matted hair.

**Review!**


	41. Trust Me

**Trust Me**

**A/N: I felt bad for updating with such a short chapter so I somehow managed to update again the next day with this one, I feel like I'm getting my inspiration back. Thank you to all of those who reviewed, you have no idea how much you guys make my day when you review especially the lengthy ones. Thank you once more my dears, enjoy! I'll reply to all of you in the next chapter, I promise!**

Happy paced nervously behind Grumpy, his gloved hands shaking with rage. He watched as the other goon carefully tried to clean off the blood that was caked on Monica's face.

"Didn't I tell you it was a bad idea letting her go?" Happy snapped as the other goons avoided his gaze. Grumpy merely pulled back and dipped the rag in his hand into a warm bowl of water that had turned pink by then with all of the blood.

He was nowhere near done, the more he cleaned off the worse she looked.

He felt a lump in his throat when his eyes landed on the dark bruise on her cheek. Pausing, he pulled back and sighed quietly before turning to look at the clown who stood a few feet away.

The Joker merely ignored his men and remained leaning on the wall with his eyes closed. His whole body protested with pain, he would have to sleep soon if he wanted his muscles to respond to him. Rest meant losing time that he could be using to plan his final escapade.

"Hap," the clown ordered, making the 'p' pop with a smack of his lips. The goon in question looked away from Monica and walked hurriedly over to the Joker. He stood in front of his boss while keeping his head and eyes low. They had learned that making eye contact with the madman only brought about their own demise.

"Go get me coffee," the Joker snapped without opening his eyes. Grumpy turned to look at the pair nervously as Happy shifted in his spot.

"Decaf?" Happy asked, realizing too late the stupidity of his question. His breath hitched when he felt the air around him dance and he saw the gleam of a silver blade graze past his neck. Several of the goons in the room tensed and held their breaths when Happy didn't move.

The Joker opened his weary eyes and smiled eerily at Happy before he moved away from his position on the wall. Grumpy sighed in relief when he saw Happy breathe out heavily but winced inwardly once he saw the goon next to him. Happy felt the other man's blood squirt onto his black shirt seconds before he crumpled to the floor.

Without another word he rushed out of the room to get the clown a cup of coffee. He was lucky to be breathing.

"Out, all of you," the clown growled warningly. In a matter of seconds the room was vacant except for him and Monica who remained sprawled on the bed exactly where he had thrown her.

He skipped merrily over to her while humming a tune that only he knew. On his way, he picked up the rag that Grumpy had been using and grinned from ear to ear when he saw the ruby tint that her blood had left on it.

Monica remained unconscious on the bed as he neared her silently. The clown chuckled to himself as he used the blood on her face as paint. Slowly, he traced a smile across her cheeks with care and precision.

"Wake up, doll," he hummed, stepping back to examine his work. The smile on her face almost rivaled his own.

Monica shifted away from him and scrunched up her nose when the coppery smell of blood hit her and brought her out of her comatose state. Slowly but surely she started to come to. Her blurred vision tried to focus on the dark figure looming over her. Monica's instincts kicked in and she clenched her fist before she aimed it at the stranger's form.

Before she could even get close to his face the Joker caught her fist with one of his hands and applied pressure onto her knuckles. Monica whined pathetically and tried to take her hand back before he broke her fingers.

"Careful with that aim, doll," he whispered to her in the dark, his eyes gleaming sadistically as he increased the pressure. Monica squirmed on the bed and cried out moments before he finally released her hand and stepped back. She cradled her shaking hand and curled up into a ball facing away from him in an attempt to defend herself.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she whispered through her cries, it was bad enough that her whole body was covered with bruises and cuts. She didn't need him adding his own touch to her already aching body.

"We both know," he murmured in the dark, leaning over with a smile stretching from ear to ear, "there's plenty wrong with me."

Monica curled up even more when she felt him lean forward, she could practically feel his breath on her neck as he teased her mercilessly. She should have known that having him come to her rescue would have its downfall. Placing herself at his mercy wasn't exactly the safest or smartest thing to do.

"Where's Harley?" Monica asked, hoping to distract him. The clown didn't fall for her attempt; instead he sat down on the bed beside her with a light chuckle. He shook his head in disbelief at the woman next to him; she truly thought she could shift his attention onto something else.

"Why does she always come up when we meet, hm?" he asked tapping Monica on the shoulder. She jumped and scooted away from him, having the murdering psychopath so close seemed to sink in then and there. If he wanted to, all he had to do to get rid of her would be to take out his knife and finish what the harlequin had started.

Without thinking, Monica's hand shot up to her neck to reassure herself that she was still alive. She could feel the scar that the clown's henchwoman had caused, the harsh laceration still made her shiver whenever her hand would accidently brush up against it.

"Jealous?" the clown sang mockingly, poking her side where he remembered a large bruise that lay hidden beneath her shirt. Monica hissed in pain and slapped his hand away while whipping around on the bed to face him.

"She nearly killed me," Monica croaked, her nails digging into his forearm as she attempted to get him to sit still. It was impossible for the clown to remain in one place for too long, he grew restless and felt the need to move.

"She was having fun," the Joker shot back defensively, pouting mockingly. Monica sneered at him and at his poor acting skills as she let go of his arm and let her own drop onto the bed near his leg.

"By slicing my throat open?" she spat, narrowing her eyes at the clown net to her. The Joker shook his head and rolled his eyes. Monica's eye twitched in annoyance when his green locks fell onto his face and covered his eyes from her. That was the last thing she needed, not being able to tell where he was looking.

Much to her relief he pushed it back with a swift move of his hand followed by his infamous tongue clicking against his cheek. She grit her teeth when she heard him, he had so many habits that bothered her to no extent. She valued her life too much to test his patience at the moment at voice her disapproval, though.

"Harmless fun, I tell you," he insisted with a light chuckle. Monica's temper finally got the better of her and made her lunge towards him from her position on the bed. The clown, on the other hand, calmly reached for her nose and flicked it with his middle finger.

Monica's eyes filled with tears when she remembered that her nose was broken. Her hands went from being outstretched to hit him to covering her nose in an attempt to ease the pain that shot up and down her body.

"Shh," the clown hushed comfortingly as he reached out towards her. Monica backed away and hit her head on the headboard of the bed that she was resting on. It was only then that the realization of not knowing where she was seemed to hit her. Her panicked eyes scanned the intricate room with dread.

Dark purple walls stared back at her along with black furniture and a large gothic bureau with and immense mirror resting against the far wall of the room. She registered cans of grease paint on its surface along with the clown's trademark fingerprints all over the surface of the mirror.

Her hands clenched around purple silk sheets and black comforter for a few seconds before she looked up at the clown with confusion.

"Where am I?" she asked, afraid of what his answer would be.

"First you try to kill me, then you ask questions, isn't that a bit unreasonable, beautiful?" he replied, avoiding her question completely. Monica's brow furrowed for a moment as she dismissed the subject of their location for the time being.

Before she could think of anything else, however, she felt the bed on the clown's side dip moments before his gloved hand gripped her broken nose and cracked it back into place. She uttered a silent cry and pulled back from him instantly with a look of hate in her eyes.

The bastard had probably waited for her to wake up before he fixed her nose in order to inflict more pain onto her. Tears fell down her cheeks and left a crimson trail when they slid down the bloody smile that the clown had drawn on her face.

The Joker couldn't have been more delighted, the sight of her bloody, beaten, and tired appealed to him greatly. Even then, he knew she was capable of putting up a fight in her weakened state. She was a character that amused him still, that was the only reason she was still breathing.

"What do you want, clown?" she asked, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. The Joker tilted his head at this and ran his tongue over the scars on the inside of his cheek.

"I told ya' we weren't done last time, remember?" he chuckled, leaning towards her on the bed. Monica blushed when she recalled the last time she had crossed paths with him. Her body leaned back to put some distance in between them. She thanked the clown's lack of lighting in the room or else he would have seen the deep shade of red that her face had taken.

The smell of her blood mixed with the grease paint on the bureau and gunpowder that he had in his coat seemed to fill his senses for a brief moment and dazed him. He stopped himself and grinned as he realized the effect that she had on him.

"Guns, I want some, uh, guns," he commented nonchalantly, staring at her intently in the dark. He could tell she remained frozen in front of him, this new development both amused and displeased him. The last thing he needed was to lose sight of what truly mattered, he couldn't allow himself to be distracted this late into his plan.

"What type?" Monica asked, finding her voice after a while. The clown in front of her stood from the bed and paced the room slightly with a skip in his step. He seemed to be in deep thought although she knew better. He was merely making her wait to annoy her; he already knew what he wanted.

"Some BB guns would be nice, pink if you have em'," he replied, leaning on the bureau while facing her. Monica rolled her eyes at him before she got off of the bed with a bit of difficulty. She didn't ask for his help and the thought would have never crossed her mind. It was useless to ask anything of him, especially when it came to aiding someone else.

"I was being serious," she replied, supporting her weight on the footrest of the bed while trying to catch her breath.

"You think I wasn't?" he replied with a grin.

Monica merely ignored him and moved towards the door without uttering another word. She was tired of being kept in one place, she needed to get out. The clown made no move to stop her and followed quietly behind her as she made her way through the seemingly large house where she found herself in.

She didn't ask any questions and the clown felt somewhat grateful for it, he wasn't in the mood to answer any.

"Get a couple of goons to carry them back, I'll take you to our warehouse," she informed him, finding her way to the door before she opened it and stepped out into the cold night air. She didn't look back to see if he was following or not, she merely headed over to one of the several Escalades and waited for Grumpy to catch up and open the doors.

The drive there was quiet; she kept her attention on the passenger's side mirror and her beat up façade. Her fingers pressed up against the bruise on her cheek and a hiss escaped through her lips when she registered pain from it.

"It'll start to fade in a couple of days," Grumpy told her, trying to comfort her despite the disgusted face that she was making at herself in the mirror. She closed her eyes and allowed her head to fall back on the seat while she waited for them to get to the warehouse.

Screeching tires alerted her of their arrival when she heard goons rushing out of the vans around her an examining the area. She opened the door and stepped out with a wince while she attempted to stretch. She opted out when her muscles ached in protest.

"Take whatever you want," she commented, looking back at the clown who was looking at the warehouse with an unimpressed expression on his face. Monica turned away from him when her shattered phone went off.

She answered the call and stepped away from the mass of goons to hear better.

"We got news on the Riddler, the Joker's girl was seen with him a few minutes ago near Wayne Enterprises," Beelzebub's voice informed her as her eyes shot a glare at the clown.

"Keep an eye on them, I'll be there soon," she replied before she hung up and turned to face the clown.

With the rest of his goons inside of the warehouse searching through her guns she grabbed a hold of his coat and rammed him up against one of the Escalades. The clown winced when the side mirror dug into his back and his elbow dented the hood of the van.

"You're working with the Riddler?" Monica hissed, feeling betrayed. Her mind, however, informed her that she should have seen this coming long ago. It was only a matter of time until the clown started to work with her enemies.

"No," he snarled back. The clown made no attempt to flip their roles or get back at her, instead he enjoyed the brief moment of pain that she brought to him.

"Harley's working with him," Monica growled, her grip increasing as she pushed him further back. The Joker's back arched in an attempt to relieve the pressure between it and the mirror as she refused to back off.

When he heard what she had said, however, his eyes narrowed dangerously and his teeth grit against one another. He hadn't known of Harley's involvement with the Riddler, she would pay dearly for going behind his back.

Upon seeing him do nothing, Monica backed away from him and stalked over to one of the Escalades that was still on. She got in and turned in surprise when the clown sunk into the passenger's seat next to her.

"She has some explaining to do," the Joker mumbled, twirling one of his knives in his hand. Monica wondered if Harley had truly gone behind the clown's back or whether he was messing with her once more.

The words she uttered before releasing the breaks sent a shiver of anticipation up the Joker's spine. He was curious to see what Monica could do and the damage she could inflict when she wasn't held back. He was looking forward to Harley's encounter with the woman beside him.

"I'll kill both of them myself."

The clown grinned eagerly; it pleased him when she threatened the life of others. She made him proud, she almost sounded like him.

His grin grew wider.

Almost.

**Review! I know the Joker seems a bit calm in this chapter but don't be alarmed, all of his madness and violence will make itself known in the next chapter along with something else for those of you who have been waiting forever for something to happen between the two ;) So review! What do you think will happen? **


	42. One More Night

**One More Night**

**A/N: This my dears, is your Christmas present. Enjoy!**

"You and I go hard at each other,

Like we going to war,

You and I go rough,

We keep throwing things,

And slammin' the door…

You and I get so damn dysfunctional,

We stopped keeping score…

You and I get sick,

Yeah I know that we can't do this no more-"

Monica reached over and turned the radio off just as the clown reached over to turn the volume up. Her eyes met with his own for a few moments before she turned her attention back onto the road.

"I liked that song," the clown protested, shifting on the seat. He made sure that it got her attention by moving more than he needed to as he stretched out his legs.

"I didn't know psychopaths listened to music," Monica mumbled back, increasing the speed of the van. The Joker merely looked out of the window with disinterest and returned his attention to her after a few moments.

"Pink 5 is a classic," he shot back. Monica's lips quirked upwards for a few seconds when she heard his reply. What was it with the clown and the color pink?

"It's Maroon 5, darling," Monica pointed out, shaking her head in disbelief. The Joker merely took out a deck of cards and started to shuffle them with a look of indifference on his face. Monica stared at him and at the intricate manner with which he shuffled them.

"Is he dead?" she asked before she could stop herself. The clown looked up at her briefly before he resumed his previous task.

"Who?" he asked, a smile stretching across his face as he waited for her reply. Monica sighed and looked out of the window before she gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Judas," she replied. The mere mention of the biker's name made her hand cover the spot where he had left a bruise on her neck. This didn't go unnoticed by the clown; his eyes scanned her pale skin carefully for any new cuts near the one he had made.

He was disappointed to see that the 'J' was beginning to lose its original color; it had faded into a dull crimson. The clown dismissed it for the time being and returned his attention to the cards in his hand.

"He won't be getting up any time soon," the Joker replied, eyeing her out of the corner of his eye. Monica sighed and dropped her hand before she turned to look at him slightly. The clown ignored her and continued shuffling the cards before the familiar screeching of tires brought him back down to earth.

Monica cursed and slammed down on the breaks when she saw a car dart out of an alley in front of her. Her arm instantly flew towards the clown's side when she saw him fly forward.

A groan escaped through his scarred lips when his body collided with the dashboard of the van. The cards in his hand dropped into his lap and his hands flew up to examine the damage that the collision had had on his scarred smile.

He could taste blood in his mouth; the thought of having the scars reopen sent a shiver of fear down his spine. Going through that ordeal had been bad enough the first time; he didn't want to repeat it. An image of a needle and black thread flashed through his mind followed by the searing pain that had come from his scars.

"Damn it, you nearly flew out of the windshield!" Monica scolded, turning the car off and facing him. If it hadn't been for her holding him back by his coat he would have crashed through the glass. Her hands cautiously touched his own as she tried to see the damage that she had done accidentally.

She could feel his right hand shaking beneath her own. It scared her when she saw him like this, he was out of it and she didn't want to know what he was capable of if she said the wrong thing.

"Let me see," she whispered to him, worry filing her eyes when she pulled her hand back. It was covered in blood, she was sure it wasn't hers.

"Drive," he growled, refusing to let her touch him again. Monica backed off for a moment and considered her options. She could continue pushing him until he let her see or until his patience ran out and he stabbed her to death.

"Just let me see," she persisted, seeing his blood covered glove. She winced when the crimson droplets fell onto his lap. She had a feeling that while he enjoyed having the blood of others on his clothes, his own bothered him to some extent. Especially when it involved his trademark smile.

"I said drive!" he snarled at her, making a move to reach for her neck. Monica pulled back and turned the van back on after seeing this and concentrated on getting to Wayne Enterprises. Every now and then she would turn to see him leaning against the window while breathing heavily.

She was more concerned over his wellbeing than her own at that moment. He wouldn't stop bleeding; she grew more and more restless as they neared the center of Gotham.

"Stop that," the Joker snapped when he caught her staring for the fifth time. Monica's lips dipped downwards for a few moments before she turned her attention back onto the road. She fought back the feeling to reach over and see what was wrong with him. Such an act would probably result in her losing her hand; she wasn't willing to risk that.

As gently as she possibly could she brought the car to a stop in front of the same park where she had been with Bruce weeks ago. Much to her shock the clown dropped the hand he had been using to cover his face as he reached back and grabbed a crowbar from the back seat.

"Joker?" Monica questioned, panic kicking in when she saw him kick open the door. She looked at him briefly and then in the direction in which he was stalking towards and instantly saw what had caused him to snap.

The Riddler stood in front of a large water fountain in the middle of the park with Harley hanging off of his neck like an attached child with a grin from ear to ear.

The orange haired man twirled his golden cane happily as he watched the clown prince of crime approach him with a glare that would have made the devil himself cower in fear. The Riddler shifted his weight onto one of his legs and wondered if siding with Harley had been a good idea after all, the clown didn't seem too happy about it.

Monica rushed out of the car and ran towards the Joker in a desperate attempt to catch up to him and stop him before he did anything stupid. Harley's grin dropped when she saw Monica next to her clown, she had hoped the biker would stay behind. She should have known better, wherever the Joker was the other woman wasn't far behind.

"Fancy seeing each other again, dear," the Riddler laughed, his voice smooth as silk as he eyed Monica from head to toe. He remembered her, how could he forget? The death of her brother had been brought about by his own hand after all.

"You're dead," Monica hissed, moving forward without a second thought. The Joker merely stopped her by placing the crowbar in front of her with a flick of his wrist. Harley narrowed her eyes at this and eyed the clown intently. What was he playing at?

"Harley, come here," the Joker ordered, staring at the harlequin next to the Riddler. Harley winced when she saw the state in which he clown found himself in. Blood stained his teeth and lips as well as his vest and coat.

"No," Harley replied, her voice high pitched and child-like. The clown tilted his head and in the process cracked his neck making the harlequin step back slightly with fear.

"What?" he asked the grip on the crowbar increasing as he stepped forward. Monica held him back briefly by holding on to his free arm. She pondered on whether that was a wise decision, for all she knew he could whip around and nail her with the crowbar if he felt like it.

"She's with me, clown," the Riddler replied, his green eyes never leaving the Joker's raging chocolate orbs. A smile spread across his face as he wondered if he had heard correctly. Harley, with him? What next, Monica would leave him as well for the Bat?

Unable to withstand it any longer, the Joker doubled over as wave after wave of cackles left his scarred lips. Monica stared at him with slight concern, had he finally lost the little shred of sanity that he had?

"He treats me better, puddin'," Harley bellowed, trying to get her reason for leaving across over the clown's booming laughter. The Joker looked up at her through the green locks of hair that had fallen across his face for a moment before he turned to look at Monica.

Harley´s voice broke him out of his thoughts once more as she continued to protest and whine.

"She doesn't care about ya' puddin', I can take her!" Harley yelled confidently. Monica's eye twitched when she heard this. There was no way in heaven or hell that the harlequin next to the Riddler could best her in a fight. It was impossible.

The Joker moved forward once more but stopped when the Riddler shook his finger at him and whistled loudly. Monica turned around when she heard a nearby bush rustling only to find that they were surrounded by the Riddler's men. Much to her surprise none of them carried guns, only brass knuckles and bats.

"You gotta come prepared for everything, don't ya?" the Joker teased, turning to look at Monica with a bloody smile. She couldn't find in herself to smile back, the situation in which they were in wasn't looking too good for either of them.

The clown snapped his fingers and looked at the Riddler with a blank face; he always had the last laugh. His goons surrounded the Riddler's men in a matter of seconds, Monica felt better but not by much. One wrong move and blood was going to be spilt.

"Riddle me this," the Joker chuckled, the grip that he had on the crowbar increasing even more, "He who makes it, sells it, he who buys it, doesn't use it, he who uses it, doesn't know it," the clown eyed the orange haired man intently. "What is it?"

Just as the Joker suspected, the Riddler dropped his guard for a few moments while he figured out the riddle.

"A coffin?" the Riddler replied, realizing his mistake. He moved out of the way just as the clown hurled a knife at him, even then it managed to knick his arm. Harley's eyes widened when she saw this and stepped back out of fear. What had she gotten herself into?

"Tear her apart," the Joker whispered to Monica before he moved forward and skipped over to the Riddler who was still in shock at the clown's ability to distract him.

Chaos erupted between the two groups. Monica jumped out of the way when she saw Happy take down one of the Riddler's men by slicing his throat open. She shuddered when blood sprayed onto the back of her neck and hair.

"Get that bitch, babe," Grumpy chuckled, holding back another one of the Riddler's men before he snapped his neck. Monica nodded and looked over the crowd only to see Harley cowering behind the Riddler's form as the Joker advanced towards the pair.

So she was right, the harlequin was horrified of the clown when he lost control of himself. Monica was surprised to find a grin on her lips as she moved forward as well to get back at Harley for everything she had done to her once and for all. She registered the Joker tearing the Riddler away from her before the sickening crack of bones reached her ears.

"Let's end this pathetic game, Harley," Monica laughed, reaching for the harlequin. Harley panicked and threw a blind punch at the biker in front of her. Much to her luck she managed to hit Monica near her lower ribs causing her to step back and double over in pain.

Harley laughed at her small triumph and stood up proudly in front of the other woman with a smile that would have made a madman proud. Monica glared up at her moments before she threw herself at the harlequin with rage. Harley squeaked when she felt her body fall back and connect with the concrete floor. Before she knew it, Monica was already on top of her landing blow after blow to her face once more.

If the harlequin didn't do something she would end up beaten up like the last time. The Riddler turned when he heard Harley go down and managed to kick Monica off of her before the biker did more damage. The Joker on the other hand sneered at the man in front of him when he helped Harley and kicked him when he had his back turned to him.

The Riddler lost his balance and fell forward moments before the clown stepped over Harley and heaved Monica up to her feet. He shoved her in the direction of the harlequin before he hummed to himself and reached inside of his pocket. It was time to end this fight; the remaining cops in the city would have heard of the confrontation by now and were probably on their way to stop it. The last thing the Joker needed was a pack of cops and the Bat looming over his shoulder.

"No, we can work something out!" the Riddler pleaded as he saw the clown approach him with two gleaming knives in his hands. Genuine fear ran through his eyes, he knew what was coming. Every criminal in Gotham knew. The stories that they told amongst themselves about the clown sent chills up and down their bodies whenever he was brought up.

He had already heard of the infamous Joker when he had first arrived in Gotham, and the very first story that he was told wasn't about his scarred smile or his makeup façade. It had been about the way he disposed of his enemies. Those who were lucky simply had their throat slit, but there were those who's luck ran out every once in a while. They would show up in the streets in plain view of everyone who passed by with their faces carved into smiles and a 'J' cut into their chest. This was all done while they were still breathing. The clown had perfected his technique and figured out a way to keep his victims alive during the whole ordeal.

"Any last words?" the Joker questioned, looking away from him for a brief moment to catch a sight of Monica slamming Harley's face into the side of the stone fountain. He laughed when Harley squealed in pain and grabbed a hold of Monica's hair moments before she managed to throw the biker into the frozen water within the fountain.

Much to his delight Monica resurfaced with a sneer on her face as she grabbed a hold of Harley's blond ponytails and pulled her in as well before banging her head up against the frozen ice around her. The harlequin was losing the fight, that much was apparent, her punches no longer made contact and her body was starting to give in.

"Surely I can give you something that you need, anything!" the Riddler continued, his eyes never leaving the silver blades in the clown's hands. "Guns, do you need guns?" he asked, hoping to come out of alive if he bargained with the clown prince of crime.

"Already have em'," the Joker chuckled. He dragged the blades across the Riddler's face enjoying the panic and desperation that flashed across his face.

"The girl, I'll give her back!" the Riddler offered, a small smile appearing on his face. He had the clown where he wanted him, he would surely take his offer, without Harley he was nothing.

"Already have one," the Joker whispered to him with a sadistic smile on his face. The Riddler's brow furrowed in thought. The clown merely shifted and pointed over to Monica who was bleeding profusely due to all of the cuts that she had gotten in her fight with Harley. The harlequin in her grasp was a ragdoll as she punched and kicked her mercilessly. The pure water in the pond had turned crimson.

"There has to be something," the Riddler insisted, fear returning when he realized that there was nothing he could do or give to bribe the clown.

"Why so serious?" the clown asked, a cackle leaving his lips as the Riddler squirmed beneath him and yelled. His knives pierced his skin and tore into his cheeks as the Joker laughed maniacally despite the other man's screams. The clown took is time and care as he carved the Riddler's face. His silver blades sliced and cut into the other man's face further making him scream in utter agony while his boy convulsed unwillingly.

"Almost done," the Joker sang, stepping back before bringing down one of the knives and impaling the Riddler's chest brutally. The sound of tearing flesh and cracking bones reached his ears as he cut his initial with glee.

The familiar sound of sirens filled the air just as he was finishing up making him look around to see how many goons he had lost. The loses weren't much, he wouldn't need any new men soon.

He stepped away from the Riddler's body and headed over to Monica who was still taking her rage out on Harley's unconscious body.

"We gotta go, doll," the clown called to her, his smile spreading wider when she ignored him and landed one last punch to Harley's face. He shook his head and stepped forward before he pulled her out of the pond despite her resistance.

"We need a place to hide," Grumpy commented, wiping away blood from the corner of his mouth. The drive back to their warehouse was too far, the cops would catch them before they made it very far.

"Just one night," Monica warned the clown as he set her down. They all rushed over to the cars and vans before pulling away from the park and leaving behind the bodies. Harley was still breathing along with some of the Riddler's men. They would no doubt tell the police all about the Joker's involvement once the cops showed up.

By the time that they made it to her bar she had made sure that the place was empty and that her men had stocked the place up for the night. The last thing she wanted was for her men to cross paths with the Joker's goons; she didn't feel like breaking up any fights tonight. All she wanted was a drink and a hot shower to relive her sore muscles.

She entered and headed over to the bar to serve herself a shot of tequila while the rest of the goons filed in and the clown made himself at home on a stool near the bar.

"You deserve one," Monica explained as she set down a shot of tequila in front of him. He had once again taken care of something that had been her problem initially. She wondered when all of his favors would catch up to her and he would ask for something in return.

The clown downed the liquid in one gulp and looked up expectantly when she held the bottle in her hand. She set it down in front of him and took a seat next to him as she downed her own shot.

It wasn't long before all of his goons had made themselves at home. Several of them were already playing pool in the back while others had passed out completely on the couches near the entrance.

After her seventh shot, however, she found herself using the clown's shoulder as support. She pulled away from him and squinted towards the back where she knew she had a room reserved to herself. The temptation of walking over and lying down on her bed became too much for her. Without a single word her body stood and started to walk over to her room.

The Joker stared after her for a few moments before he followed after her. Wherever she was going there was probably a bed nearby, the first chance he got he would lay on it and never get up. He would need all of the rest that he could get for the upcoming months.

"Would you stop following me like a lost puppy?" Monica asked, turning around as fast as her alcohol influenced body would allow her. Her nose collided with the bloody tie that he wore moments before she leaned forward and rested her head on his chest. Turning around that fast had made her head spin, she needed to stay still for a few moments or she would end up hitting the ground.

"You killed two men for me today," she whispered to him in the dark of her room. The clown merely closed the door behind him and nodded. He would have been lying if he said the five shots that he had didn't affect him. His head felt light and his muscles had relaxed.

"Green is my color, I couldn't have any competition," the Joker laughed, his chest rumbling with the action as Monica smiled against him. Her mind wasn't rationalizing as well as it usually did when she looked up at him. She actually found his sick jokes humorous.

"Either way, thank you," she slurred. Never in her right mind would she have thanked him for killing another man. She had to stop drinking tequila if she wanted to stay alive in Gotham.

"Thank me by offering me your bed," the clown chuckled, eyeing the large mattress with tired eyes. When was the last time he had slept?

"Just the bed?" she hummed, her lips ghosting over his neck. The Joker closed his eyes briefly and pondered his options. Once again the overwhelming smell of her blood and the tequila on her breath got the better of him. It didn't help that he had had a couple of shots as well.

"Whatever you want, beautiful," he replied. He still had a chance to leave if he wanted to but something made him stay. He couldn't quite explain it, not even to himself. Somewhere in the back of his mind, behind all of the murder schemes and violent memories the thought of having her for one night brought a twisted sense of peace over him. He needed this just as much as she did, no matter how wrong it was.

"Just one night," she whispered to him, rising up to kiss him. The sadist within him surfaced and made him constrict his arms around her before pinning her to the closest wall. A surprised gasp left her lips as her body registered the pain.

She knew this was wrong, allowing him to even lay a hand on her was wrong. But it felt so right to her at the moment, she needed this. It had been building up for a while now, ever since the masquerade.

The Joker merely allowed himself to give in to the needs that he had neglected for so long. Harley had tired countless times before but he always pushed her away, she was too clingy and fragile for his tastes.

The feeling of her soft lips kissing his scarred skin was almost enough to send him over the edge. Monica sighed in pleasure when his scarred lips trailed down her jawline and neck. He rose her up in one swift move while she wrapped her legs around his waist and dropped her head back to give him full access to her neck. There was no way he could leave now; he would finish what he started.

"That's better, doll," he hummed, leaning forward before he sucked at the hollow of her neck. Monica closed her eyes and practically melted into his hold for a couple of seconds while a groan of pleasure reached his ears.

"Two can play that game, clown," she shot back with a grin on her face. The Joker laughed before Monica leaned forward and traced the scars on his cheeks with her hands. The taste of his makeup as she kissed his trademark smile completely overwhelmed her and made her head spin even more. The clown had one hand on the wall over her head to keep both of them up as she continued to torture him.

"Enough," he growled, growing tired of her control over him. He pulled away from the wall and walked over to the bed before allowing himself to fall back onto it. Monica smiled at his mistake and straddled his waist in victory before he realized that she was on top of him.

With a low snarl he gripped her waist and flipped their roles in the blink of an eye. Monica merely relaxed when she felt his weight pin her down beneath him. Her hands tugged at his coat in a desperate attempt to get it off. After a couple of tires she threw it aside and gasped in surprise when she heard the click of his knife near her waist.

He used the gleaming blade to slice through her shirt while nicking her in the process. Monica squirmed for a few moments before the clown brought the blade up to his mouth and licked off the blood. She shook her head at his methods before she undid his vest and stopped when she grew frustrated with the buttons on his dress shirt.

"You can get another," she murmured, tearing it open when she grew restless. The Joker merely smiled at her impatience and hissed in pleasure when her nails raked down his exposed back. He leaned down and captured her lips once more enjoying the taste of tequila and blood while her hands roamed his bare chest. He pulled away from her and discarded her shredded shirt before his eyes landed on the faded 'J' on her collarbone.

Monica's eyes shot open when she felt the familiar tip of his knife pierce her skin and trace over the letter on her skin. She bit down on his shoulder to prevent herself from screaming and alerting his goons who remained outside in the main room. The clown merely smiled against her, his goons would hear her soon enough despite her attempts to keep quiet. She would be screaming by the time he was done with her.

"The makeup," Monica moaned, making the Joker pause to look at her, "take it off."

Despite the effect of the alcohol and the restless nights he wasn't entirely out of it in order to allow her to see him without the makeup. It was something that he reserved only for himself; there was no way that he would take it off just for her.

"No," he answered back, nipping at her jaw as she reached down in between them and fumbled with his belt. In turn he traced his knife along her inner thigh cutting off the black leather pants in the process.

"Have it your way then," Monica replied, successfully undoing his belt while he pulled off what remained of her pants. She had everything she wanted already; she had him wrapped around her finger when it came to situations like these. A feeling settled over her that she would end up limping and bruised after he was done, it didn't matter though.

He wasn't going to leave her bed without wounds of his own.

Would she regret it in the morning?

Would he regret it in the morning?

One thing was certain though; neither of them would get any sleep that night.

**Review! :D**


	43. Sorry

**Sorry**

**A/N: Not my best chapter but it was all I could muster up amidst a bad cold and cramps -_- so pardon me my dears if it's not as well written as the previous chapter. This one is sort of a filler to get things moving for the next chapter because bodies are going to start dropping in the next chapter. Sidenotes to those who reviewed chp. 42:**

**leyah: I'm glad you liked it that much! :D**

**Nrowayn: Sorry that you had to take on this monster in one day but I'm glad that it's good enough to keep you reading :D**

**vickielee: Hope this is as good as the last three, I wouldn't want to dissapoint! D:**

**TheCleverGirl: I doubt I will ever be good enough to write a book ;D But thank you and I hope you like this chappie!**

**WiltedBloom: I try my hardest to keep the clown in character, which is a challenge in itself with him being so complicated to write! But I'm glad you've like it so far, thank you for reviewing :D**

**X-PoisonCherry-X: So sorry that you've missed sleep over this D: But Im glad you've like it so far :D**

**ZenyZootSuit:They do have a complicated relationship, don't they? And trust me, it gets more twisted as we go! And truth be told, neither of them truly regretted it they just need time to adjust to what happened :D Hope you keep reading and reviewing! Thank you :D**

**Annie: Glad you like it :D **

**LivinJgrl123: I replied this time :D and I'm glad you've liked it so far, its reviewers like you that keep me going and make me want to update, so thank you!**

**LaurenvBelladonna: It was about time, wasn't it? :D**

**BobSwag: Who could forget Bruce? Of course he wont find out right away, though ;) And yes, drunk Monica does make some rather irrational choices but like you said, it's all for the better! :D glad you like it so far! **

"Hey, wake up, darling," Grumpy whispered, tapping Monica's shoulder. She shifted away from him and pulled the covers over her head. Her whole body ached; the last thing she wanted was to get up. She couldn't even remember what had happened last night. It didn't matter; all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Go away, Grumpy," she slurred, her exposed hand swatting his own as he attempted to move her. She could feel dried blood caked on her arms and chest, what had she gotten herself into last night?

"The boss left already," Grumpy commented, refusing to leave her bedside. Monica scrunched up her nose and sneezed lightly. That explained the smell of makeup and gunpowder, the clown had been there. It didn't explain why this was important to her, however.

"I don't care," Monica replied, slowly losing her will to go back to sleep. Shifting once more, a groan escaped though her lips when her hips sent a jolt of pain up her spine. They were probably bruised, had she gotten into an accident on her motorcycle? It would explain the blood and her sore muscles.

"The playboy is here, I don't think you want him to see you like this," Grumpy persisted, shaking his head in slight disbelief. He realized that she had forgotten everything about last night, she wasn't even aware that she had shared her bed with the clown.

"I'm fine," Monica snapped, barely registering the fact that Bruce was standing outside waiting for Grumpy to let him in.

"No you're not," Grumpy shot back, trying to get her to wake up completely. Monica pulled down the covers when she noticed how persistent the goon was being, it wasn't like him. She kept them up near her neck when she noticed that she wasn't wearing anything underneath them.

Her face attained a crimson shake as she brought up a shaking hand to her face. She pulled it back and held it in front of her face long enough to register the white and red makeup that had stained her fingertips. Instantly, her body shot up and went into a panic attack. Her chest rose up and down rapidly as she tried to deny what her body was yelling at her.

"I didn't…did I?" she whispered, her face showing nothing but horror as she looked to Grumpy for answers. In turn, the Joker's second in command merely nodded in response. Monica shook her head at him and wrapped the black sheets around her body. She got off the bed after a moment of struggle due to all of the bruises and rushed over to the bathroom that was connected with her room.

Grumpy merely sighed when the door slammed shut behind her and all of the lights flickered on loudly. He turned towards the door and opened it moments before Bruce stepped into the room and analyzed it carefully. Grumpy merely eyed the playboy cautiously as he scanned the room. The goon had made sure that no trace of his boss was left in the room. He couldn't say the same for the bathroom, it was still a mess, he had forgotten to go through and clean all of the makeup off of the mirror.

"She'll be out in a couple of minutes, she's taking a quick shower," Grumpy commented. Bruce merely nodded and sighed when the goon closed the door as he left. He didn't question the tattoo on the man's wrist, he merely considered him one of Monica's bikers. The playboy was left alone in the dark room. He took advantage of the moment and looked around for anything that looked like it was out of place.

Monica on the other hand stared at herself in the mirror for what seemed hours.

"No," she uttered, fury rising up as she glared at the red grease paint all over her face. She could see traces of white all over her collarbone and neck. Her hand gripped the black sheets to her chest making her knuckles turn white with the force that she was using. She didn't even want to know what lay beneath the sheets.

Her bottom lip was split and a dark bruise stared back at her from underneath her right eye. She could register several others on her cheeks and jaw but none of them had been made by the clown. They were from the beating that Judas had given her. At least she had an excuse for those.

She turned away from the mirror and turned the water on before she returned her attention to her reflection. Her hair was disheveled and stuck out at odd angles; she could give the clown credit for that.

A flash of her tugging on his green locks ran through her mind moments before she used the sink to support herself. She couldn't quite place her feelings towards the madman at the moment. A part of her couldn't deny that she had felt pleasure from what she had done with him. Another, however, whispered venomous words in her head that she thought she had gotten rid of months ago.

'_Whore!' _Her mind hissed, making her sink down onto the floor. Was she a whore? She had no idea what was right and what was wrong anymore. It had never been in her plans to offer herself to him much less sleep with him.

Monica wrapped her arms around herself for a few moments and tried to pull herself together. The bloody prints of his hands on her arms did little to ease her mind; on the contrary, they seemed to agitate her more.

Stray tears fell down her cheeks and dampened the sheets around her as she sat still and tried to calm the raging storm inside of her head.

"It's all my fault," she whispered, trying to comfort herself despite everything that had happened. There was no use in blaming the clown; she was the one at fault.

The moment the Joker came up in her thoughts, however, her mind went blank. She didn't feel the initial annoyance that she felt for him at first, nor did she register the deep hatred that she held for the man. She felt nothing, just like what he felt for her.

Nothing.

Sleeping with him had been her mistake.

Where was he now?

Grumpy had told her he had already left.

Of course he had.

What had she expected?

For him to be there when she woke up?

A pathetic laugh escaped through Monica's lips, he would never be there when she woke. The Joker didn't care about her, or about Harley. She had a feeling that he didn't care about anyone, not even himself.

What had made her believe that she was special to him?

"Imbecile," Monica whispered to herself. She couldn't explain why his absence hurt her as much as it did. A shiver raked through her when cold air rushed in to the bathroom from underneath the door. Standing shakily, she made her way towards the shower and dropped the sheets in the process.

The hot water that hit her back relaxed her panicked body; she stopped shivering and relaxed her head against the black tile of the shower.

She stopped crying almost immediately, he didn't deserve anything of her much less her tears.

Her hands massaged her bruised hips for a couple of seconds as she tried to block off the images of the clown that surfaced in her mind. She sighed when she finally got a chance to wash off all of the blood in her hair.

The grease makeup on her face and the coppery smell brought back images of the previous night as much as she tried to repress them and push them aside. She wasn't ashamed of what she had done; it just agitated her that she couldn't remember it all entirely.

Monica rubbed the back of her neck and proceeded to clean off all of the blood on her body with the bar of soap and sponge slowly. She counted several cuts that the clown had left behind along with several bruises where he had held on too tight.

Her ribcage was a mess of lacerations and purple bruises. She kept herself in check when she recalled that he hadn't walked away unscathed.

His back was probably killing him at the moment. Her nails had raked though it monstrously several times and his shoulders probably had bite-marks all over them. He had his own bruises to take care of and hide.

The more she thought of it the better she felt, she didn't feel as used and dirty as before. She had taken as much advantage of him as he had of her.

That didn't change the fact that she would keep her distance from now on, she wasn't ready to repeat last night's events. It had been a mistake on both of their parts, it would never happen again.

She turned off the shower with her mind made up and reached for the towel that she had left on top of the sink. After wrapping it around herself and drying her hair she reached for a black shirt that belonged to Beelzebub and slipped it on. She didn't have any time to search for one of her own nor did she have time to concern herself with her image.

Cursing inwardly when she realized that she had no pants to wear she slipped on her black hiphugger panties and prayed that Bruce paid little to no attention to her choice of fashion sense when she came out of the bathroom.

She threw her hair back and concentrated on drying it as she stepped out of the bathroom and tired her best to look like nothing had happened in the last couple of days. Bruce turned to look at her and immediately noticed that she was only wearing an oversized shirt and panties. He felt his cheeks grow warm as she smiled at him and sat cross legged on the bed.

"Been a while, Bruce," she commented, eyeing him from top to bottom. He looked the same to her; she couldn't say the same for herself. The playboy seemed to notice this as well and moved forward when the scar on her neck caught his attention.

"What happened to you?" he asked, kneeling beside her as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed to face him. She tried to reassure him with a smile once more but failed when his thumb brushed over the scar that Harley had left behind.

"N-nothing," Monica choked, trying to hold back everything that she had kept bottled inside of her. Bruce's eyes scanned her bruised face with a look that she couldn't quite place as his finger brushed over her split lip.

"I shouldn't have let you leave," he whispered to her, brushing her hair aside to get a better look of a cut on her jaw. Monica pulled away from him with a sneer directed at herself before she crossed her legs once more and threw her hair back.

"It's not your fault, Bruce," she replied, eyeing him as he rose with a look of disapproval, "you can't always be there for me."

The playboy turned to look at her once more when she said this and sighed. It was true, he couldn't be there and it bothered him greatly.

"If I was, this wouldn't have happened," he told her reassuringly, brushing his hand over her neck. Monica flinched away from his touch and instantly regretted the action when she saw the hurt look that danced across Bruce's eyes.

"It's not you," she added rapidly, reaching for his hand. Monica tried to make him understand what she was going through without having to explain everything to him. She hoped that with one touch he would at least realize that it wasn't him that she was afraid of.

A sigh escaped though her lips when he nodded and sat next to her. She scooted closer to him as he took her into his arms and held her for a few moments. He would have been lying if he said that he didn't miss her presence in the mansion. Everything seemed silent since she left, nothing seemed to peak his interest.

Monica merely remained still as she pressed her head up against his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. It was the only normal thing in her upside down life; he was the only stable thing that she had in Gotham. An image of the Joker flashed through her mind when she closed her eyes for a brief moment. Guilt filled her when she realized that she had slept with his rival the night before.

She pulled away unable to stay with him in that position for long, she had betrayed him. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself she knew she didn't deserve the caped crusader after her night with the clown.

She was broken and tainted; a man like Bruce didn't belong to her.

Bruce on the other hand looked down at her when he felt her pull away suddenly. She looked like she was battling with herself over something that tormented her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, backing away from him instantly. Bruce's brow furrowed at her sudden actions, she seemed distant to him now.

"When have I ever needed a reason to visit you?" he asked, a sheepish grin gracing his lips. Monica forced herself to smile lightly. The longer he stayed the guiltier she felt.

"I'm serious," she replied, hugging one of the pillows on the bed. Much to her dismay it had a smudge of white makeup on the side that faced her chest. She hugged it closer for fear of having Bruce see as he shook his head slightly and looked at her once more.

"Alright, I'll tell you why I'm here," he answered, "there's going to be a meeting today, Gotham's most influential people will be there, we need to treat the situation at hand before it gets out of control."

Monica paused slightly and tilted her head at him.

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked, hugging the pillow even more when she saw Bruce lean forward.

"You're been called to the meeting," Bruce replied, a light chuckle escaping through his lips, "you hold sway over several gangs in the area and as far as I'm concerned you're still fighting on our side."

Monica nodded after he explained this to her and paused slightly. If she went to this meeting she would be sending out a message to the rest of the gangs and mobs in Gotham. She had no doubt that her gun sales would be cut in half and that her clients would decrease.

If she refused to go she would be turning her back on Bruce when he needed her. He had done so much for her already, the least she could do was show up. Gotham was balancing on a tightrope; the more people fought for good the more chances it had of surviving.

She would lose either way.

"I'll go, I just need an hour to get ready," she lied, shaking her head knowing that her decision would have repercussions later on. She didn't need an hour to get ready; all she needed was 15 minutes. She needed an hour to process everything that had happened over the course of the last couple of hours. Bruce nodded and leaned forward once more before kissing her lightly on the lips. He missed the feeling of her soft lips more than anything else, he missed holding her, he missed everything about her. It felt good to have her back by his side; it seemed like ages since he had last seen her.

"I'll be waiting outside," he whispered to her before rising from the bed and heading for the door. Monica watched him leave and waited for him to close the door before she threw the pillow in her hold aside and broke down once more. He deserved someone who was better than her, she wasn't worthy of even being in the same room with him anymore.

She felt like crawling into a hole and dying then and there. The worst part was that she had no one to blame, not even the clown. It had all been her doing; she had brought about her own demise. No words described how much she hated herself, she wished for death above everything else.

She uttered two words before falling sideways onto her bed and curling up into a ball once more. Two simple words that she wished she could have said to Bruce. To the man that had been there for her through it all. To the man whom she had betrayed without realizing it then and there.

"I'm sorry…"

**Review, don't worry, it gets better from here on out! I promise! Ideas, questions, thoughts, throw em at me! Just leave a review :D**


	44. Something Wicked

**Something Wicked**

**A/N: I promise to write back next time, I haven't eaten anything and I'm seeing double once more. This chappie is better than the last and we start the countdown towards the end my dears. I estimate that I only have ten chapters left after this one. So, enjoy!**

"Why is the clown's girl here?" Scarecrow asked as Monica entered the room and immediately recognized him. He wasn't wearing his usual mask, though. Monica instantly sighed and wondered why she had agreed to go to the meeting in the first place. Bruce could hear everything that was happening through a small microphone that was hidden inside of her jacket. It was her only consolation, other than that she was completely alone.

"Shut it, Crow," Monica snapped, glare fixed on the ex-psychologist. She took her seat at the end of the table where she could make out other mob bosses and Arkham inmates. In a matter of seconds she realized that she was the only one without guards or henchmen. If a fight broke out she would have to stand her own ground.

"Ah, she's got J's temper too," another voice joined in, causing Monica to tilt her head in their direction. The man who had just spoken sat next to Scarecrow. His peculiar way of talking and his attire caught her attention. He wore a top hat with a large black feather sticking out of the maroon band that circled around it. His vest and coat looked like they were from the 18th century and the white rabbit in his lap entranced her even more.

"Who-" Monica started moments before Scarecrow interrupted her once more.

"Mad Hatter," the ex-psychologist replied, reading Monica's facial expressions. He could tell she had been trying to figure out who the man next to him was. The biker nodded at him and furrowed her brow as she examined the rest of the people around the table. There was time to spare and the rest of the criminals weren't known for arriving on time.

"So you're the clown's girl," a smooth voice added from behind causing the biker to spin around in a matter of seconds. Monica's eyes widened when they landed on the red haired woman who leaned on her chair behind her. The woman's green eyes burned into her own for a few moments before she broke eye contact and smiled.

"That's Ivy," Scarecrow added, making the woman in question bow her head in recognition. Monica nodded back cautiously and noted the green vines that ran through her hair and body. It almost looked like they were a part of her, as if they were fused to her skin. She reached out without asking and brushed her glove covered finger against one of the leaves before taking her hand back instantly.

The vines _were _a part of her. Ivy merely smiled at the biker in front of her and at her apparent shock when she realized that the leaves were attached to her skin. She still had a lot to learn about the criminals that surrounded her and the inmates from Arkham.

"I like her already," Ivy replied, running a ruby colored fingernail across Monica's bottom lip. The redhead pulled away and took her seat across from Monica with grace that was hard to rival.

"Who is she?" another voice asked, causing Monica to groan quietly. How many more inmates could she meet in one night?

"Joker's girl," Ivy replied, her green eyes gleaming as she refused to take them off of Monica.

The man who had just entered took a seat next to the redhead and examined Monica carefully before swinging his rifle over his shoulder. The biker in turn scanned him briefly and noticed almost immediately that he had a targeting device over his right eye.

"Deadshot, never missed a single target," Scarecrow commented as Monica turned her attention away from the mercenary. Regret was slowly starting to creep its way into her mind. What was she doing in a room full of criminals of high caliber?

"You are new here," another mechanical voice joined in, shushing the rest who had been talking amongst themselves. Monica couldn't suppress the shiver that raked through her body when the air around her dropped by several degrees. She saw Scarecrow flinch beside her and move out of the way slowly.

The biker's head slowly looked up to see a towering figure behind her. She recognized him from the night the Joker had escaped out of Arkham.

"Freeze, right?" Monica commented, as shiver after shiver left her body. The man behind her laughed, a cold, robotic laugh, before pulling away from her chair and taking the one next to Ivy. He liked her boldness, the majority of the criminals were afraid of even crossing paths with him.

"I can see why he choose you, child," Freeze replied, exhaling slowly causing the room to cool for a few moments. Ivy eyed him briefly, wondering what the other had meant, before the room quieted down once more and the double doors were thrown open.

"Perfect temperature, Freeze is here already isn't he?" a deep voice commented, making Monica close her eyes. She didn't want to meet any more criminals, she just wanted the meeting to start so she could give Bruce what he wanted and leave.

"It smells like fish, doesn't it?" the biker commented as the particular scent hit her straight on. Before she knew it someone had grabbed her by the back of her jacket and heaved her off of her feet. Her eyes instantly shot open to look down at a short but equally menacing man dressed in formal clothes with a top hat.

The umbrella that he had in his hands was the only thing that kept her off of the ground as he sneered up at her for her comment.

"Put me down," Monica growled, making a move to grab him only to be restrained by one of his men. The criminal in front of her unhooked the handle of the umbrella from the back of her jacket after seeing his men hold her up for him and smiled sadistically at her. By then the entire room had gone quiet and all heads were pointed in his direction.

"Why would I do that, love?" he questioned, drawing closer to her to examine her better. He couldn't recall seeing her before, she had to be new. They didn't take kindly to strangers; there was always a chance that they were rats in disguise.

"She runs the Bastards and the Wolves," Deadshot commented in a monotone voice, trying to sound disinterested. He kept a close watch on the woman, however, and remained intrigued as she struggled against the Penguin's men. "Her Daddy was a high class aristocrat in Gotham, he probably left her more property than everything that you have combined," the mercenary added. Deadshot knew how much the Penguin hated Gotham's aristocrats; he was merely pushing the other man's buttons, wanting to see how much he could take before snapping.

Monica turned her attention onto the mercenary after hearing this, how could someone she wasn't even aware of know so much about her? She shifted and tried to shove off the guards but stopped when one of them gripped her hair and forced her face down onto the table.

"You're not welcome here," the Penguin growled, pressing a button on the side of his umbrella. Monica squirmed against the guards when a blade slid out of the tip of the umbrella and the rest of the criminals stood from their seats.

"Kill me, we'll see where that gets you," Monica snarled, kicking off one of the guards while the others rushed forward to hold her down for the Penguin. The criminal merely scoffed and moved forward, raising the umbrella while aiming it at her neck.

"I plan to," the Penguin added, bringing down the umbrella with brutal force. Monica closed her eyes and waited for the blow to come.

The Penguin grunted in confusion when the umbrella stopped inches away from her neck and refused to go in. It was only when he noticed that a hand was holding it in place that he turned to look at the source.

"Kill her and we'll all have to deal with the clown's wrath," another mechanical voice added. Monica turned her head to look at the imposing man standing behind the Penguin with slight relief.

"Bane," Scarecrow muttered, inching away in fear from the man. Ivy moved forward and kicked off the guard that held Monica in place before helping the biker up to her feet. The redhead examined the other woman's neck for any signs of damage while Bane turned his attention onto the Penguin.

"The clown has nothing to do with her-" the Penguin started to argue moments before Bane's hand wrapped around his neck and started to apply pressure. None of his men made a move to help him; they would have been foolish if they had decided to try their luck with Bane.

"She belongs to _him,"_ Bane commented calmly, leading the Penguin to a nearby seat before forcing the other man to sit down. The rest of the criminals followed suit while Ivy returned to her seat and watched as the masked man left the Penguin's side and walked over to Monica once more.

"I believe we are all here," Bane continued, pulling up a chair next to the biker that he was familiar with by now. Several murmurs rose around the room and glances were thrown amongst the criminals when they noticed that they were missing two of the most important figures at the table.

"Where's the clown?" Ivy asked, noticing that the seat beside her was empty. Monica turned to look at Bane when the masked man didn't answer. Where was the Joker, anyway? She hadn't seen or heard anything from him in over a day.

"Unavailable at the moment, messieurs," another criminal chuckled eerily from the back. Monica immediately turned to look at him with a calculative gaze, she didn't like the way he had answered that particular question.

The moment she saw his face, however, a cold shiver ran up her back. The man had someone else's face sewn onto his own; she could see the dry blood on the edges of the mask. His doctor's robe was stained with crimson and his black gloves gleamed eerily under the dim lighting.

"Dollmaker," Scarecrow pointed out. For once, Monica was actually grateful to have him by her side in order to have him inform her of the criminals around her. "He cut's off people's faces and uses them as his own."

Out of all of the inmates and criminals in the room, the Dollmaker was the only one who genuinely scared Monica. She couldn't imagine what would drive a man to cut somebody else's face off and put it over his own. Her hand instinctively flew up to her face when she caught the criminal eyeing her face curiously.

Her body froze when he moved over to her and stood behind her just like everyone else had already done. She panicked when she realized that everyone else was preoccupied with arguing over the clown's absence to notice that he had moved to her side.

"Beautiful," he whispered, reaching around the chair to trace her jawline and cheekbones. Monica remained completely frozen underneath his touch. Her eyes were fixed on the mask of flesh that he currently had on, she could tell it had belonged to a woman.

"Hey, lay off!" Ivy barked from across the table. The Dollmaker paused and sighed before removing his hands and backing away. Bane eyed him warningly once he noticed what his intentions had been all along.

"What about the Riddler?" Scarecrow asked, noticing that the chair to his left was also empty.

"Joker carved his face and hung him from the main bridge," Deadshot chuckled, while Ivy cringed feeling sorry for the Riddler. She had heard stories of the Joker in Arkham before, they all had. When they wanted to scare each other they often talked about the clown and his history, they never thought that any of the things that they whispered amongst themselves were actually true.

"Very well, first order of business, the Batman," Scarecrow started. Moments later the room erupted with propositions and plans on how to get rid of Gotham's infamous dark knight. Monica tried her best to listen to everything but the only character that held her attention remained at the back of the room, quiet as ever. She couldn't bring it in herself to take her eyes off of the Dollmaker who in turn grinned back at her eagerly.

By the time the meeting was over she wasn't even sure what the criminals had agreed on. All she could do was hope that Bruce had been listening to everything through the microphone. She stood, using Scarecrow's shoulder for support and let the mass of criminals exit before her. Being next to last she eyed the Dollmaker who leaned on the doorway with his head tilted towards her. Scarecrow placed a hand on her shoulder and led her towards the door. Her safety fell upon him; the clown had warned him of the consequences if she came out of the meeting with so much as a scratch.

"I'm assuming you'll want to leave by yourself," Scarecrow commented as they reached the alley where they had entered from. The rest of Gotham's criminals had already gone their separate ways.

"I can handle myself," Monica commented as she wrapped her jacket around herself and looked around. She had agreed to walk a couple of blocks before Bruce picked her up. It would look too suspicious if he waited for her close to the hideout.

Fear gripped her for a few moments as she walked down the alley and exited onto the abandoned streets. There were fewer and fewer people walking around outside now that the city was in chaos. It was as if they knew a storm was coming.

She had been so distracted that she missed the figure that had been waiting for her to pass in an alley. The man wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in moments before Monica turned around and landed a punch to his face. He staggered back before another appeared out of nowhere and pulled her arms back.

The first recovered from the blow and pulled out a syringe from his coat before advancing towards her. Monica panicked and tried to kick him away in order to prevent him from injecting her with the needle.

"Hold her!" the man growled advancing towards her once more. When he got close, however, Monica bit down on the bridge of his nose and didn't stop until she drew blood. The man pulled back while holding his nose with a look of rage on his face. A vein stuck out from his neck as he pulled back his hand and prepared to hit her.

"Stop," a calm voice ordered from the dark. Monica tried to look around and pinpoint the source but failed when a cloth was slipped over face. The moment she breathed in she realized her mistake. Her eyes rolled back and her body went limp. She registered the same voice from before next to her moments before everything went black. Only then did she realize that she should have paid more attention in the meeting.

"You would not want to be here when all hell breaks loose, I will not have that pretty face ruined."

**Enjoy!**


	45. Snakes and Camels

**Snakes and Camels**

**A/N: Well, this is the filler chappie for the chaos that's about to happen during the last chapters. Hope you enjoy, I wrote it at five in the morning on nothing but a bottle of water and a single chicken nugget. I know, intense. -_- Oh, and the whole goldfish thing? He says that. The Joker actually says that in the animated series, I thought Id add it :D**

**TheCleverGirl: Oh trust me, Dollmaker might just rival our clown prince of crime when it comes to sadism and insanity ;)**

**AbbieDabbie97: 44 chapters in two days? You my dear, deserve an award :D Im glad you like it that much!**

**Guest: He isnt that well known and it bothers me, I'll make him famous :D**

**ZenyZootSuit: I do love Bane, Penguin, however, would come in last XD**

**CuteSango07: Sorry about that! She does get kidnapped alot doesnt she? I added a little bonus regarding that just for you ;D**

**Reno254: Dollmaker is from the comics, Im glad you caught on. And dont worry, there's plenty of the Joker in this chappie :D**

**YoursAnnie: Thank you, I appreciate your review :D**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Everyone seemed to like the inclusion of the villains in one chapter, Im glad you like it as well :P**

**BobSwag: Dollmaker is creepy, and it gets worse trust me. The Joker does start to get possessive and protective from here on out Im glad you caught on since the last chapter :D **

**LivinJgrl123: Im glad the update made your friday hahaha and Dollmaker is very...special. XD**

**SexyJokerLovers: I found it pretty cool to have them meet in one place I thought it was a good idea Im glad you liked it. :D**

For a brief moment, the only thing that Happy could register was the smell of iron in the air. He shifted and groaned quietly, blood. It had to be blood, the smell was unmistakable. His body wasn't in any pain, so he assumed it didn't belong to him.

His eyes opened for a fraction of a second before they closed again. The room was pitch black; there was no use in looking around.

"Why do we have to get rid of them?" a nearby voice asked. Happy could make out the shuffling of bodies all around him. It was only when he attempted to get up that he realized that his hands were restrained behind his back and his ankles were bound together with chains.

"Penguin made a deal with the Dollmaker, nothing happens to the girl and the Dollmaker gives him Gotham," another voice whispered. Happy kept still as he tried to pinpoint where the voices were coming from. He had learned from experience that when he woke up in an unknown room with strangers he had to assume the worst.

"Yeah but why do we have to move her _and _the clown?" the one from before asked, making Happy tense when he heard approaching footsteps.

"The clown has a way of interfering with plans," the other replied as Happy held his breath when he sensed the figures looming over him. "The further away he is from Gotham, the better, let's just hope that the jungle takes care of him."

Happy dropped his head when he felt a needle pierce his right arm. He cursed inwardly; he should have realized that they were using tranquilizer darts on him. How else could he have been taken from the clown's hideout?

Before another thought could run through his mind, however, everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Happy, damn it, wake up!" Monica's voice yelled, startling the goon as he opened his eyes and paused when he saw his surroundings.<p>

Miles and miles of rainforest stretched out all around him. The humidity in the air was unbearable and the fact that he was still bound didn't help his situation.

"What the hell happened?" Happy asked, shifting his body so that he faced Monica who was nudging his leg with one of her own to get his attention.

"We'll figure it out later, help me out of this," she replied, struggling to get closer to him so he could undo the ties on her hands. The goon worked quickly and undid the tight rope that had been restraining her wrists before she sat up and worked on the ones over her ankles.

"I can't remember anything," Happy commented, looking around for any signs of where they had come from or where they were. He could hear a rushing river nearby but decided to ignore it for the time being as Monica undid the ties around his wrists.

"This isn't funny, if it's one of his jokes I'm going to kill him," Monica commented as she stood and used a nearby tree for balance. She couldn't come to a conclusion on how they had gotten there. Time and time again she tried to remember the last thing she had done before she woke up in the rainforest.

Her hand immediately shot to her pocket to see if she still had her phone. She cursed loudly when she realized that whoever had brought them there had taken care of disposing of her phone.

"What the hell is going on?" Happy asked, panic apparent in his voice as he too managed to stand and looked around. There was no clear path that they could follow out of the rainforest and the trees made it impossible to see farther than a couple of meters.

"I think we need to move, we can't stay here and wait for someone to help us," Monica commented, finding it difficult to believe that she had woken up in an unknown forest. It seemed like a minute ago she had been in Gotham and now she was in another part of the world.

The pair walked for a few minutes, tripping over fallen trees and getting caught up in hanging branches. The further in they went the more scratches they obtained from the sharp leaves and exposed bark from the trees surrounding them.

When a nearby twig snapped, however, the two froze and hid behind a large tree a couple of feet away. They could hear indistinct voices getting closer. They would have been stupid to show themselves after waking up in an unknown part of the forest, for all they knew it could have been the same people that had brought them there.

"This all looks the same, puddin'!" Harley's high pitched voice squealed in dismay as a small tree fell near the hidden pair.

The Joker stormed through the rainforest with a scowl on his face, tearing down anything in his path as he kicked aside a small rodent that dashed across in front of him. Monica's eye twitched in slight fear when the animal's cry reached her ears.

"We're lost, we've been walking for hours," Grumpy's voice commented from the back as Blade rolled his eyes at the goon's comment. Chuckles merely groaned and shifted the gun on his right shoulder to his left.

"Wait…I think I heard some of the Penguin's men talking about you and the boss," Happy recalled, leaning against the tree as the other group of goons and the clown stopped when they heard his voice. Grumpy turned to look at them followed by Harley who immediately made a face at Monica.

"What do you mean they were talking about me?" Monica asked, shifting her attention to the goon beside her. Happy smiled weakly when he saw the venomous glare that she was directing at him.

"Something about you getting in the way, about having to take you someplace far away from Gotham," Happy added, cracking his knuckles as Monica shifted her attention onto the clown.

"This is all your fault!" the biker yelled, storming over to the clown prince of crime who's face lit up when he saw the raging woman a few feet away from him. His change in mood didn't go unnoticed by Harley who had spent the better part of the last hour trying to make him smile.

"Doll if I wanted to travel somewhere exotic I would have done so in a stolen plane, not chains and rope," the clown shot back, standing his ground as Monica paused and narrowed her eyes at him. Grumpy stepped back, wanting to get out of the line of fire as the two continued to argue with each other.

"Seven times! I've been taken hostage seven fucking times!" Monica yelled, shedding her leather jacket as she threw it at the Joker who merely flicked it out of the way with his forearm. Harley couldn't take her pained eyes away from him. She saw how his eyes lit up whenever the biker was around, she saw how it pleased him whenever she inflicted pain on him, she wasn't stupid.

After an aggravated snarl left her lips, Harley turned away from the pair and headed off in the opposite direction. The Joker followed the harlequin with his eyes as Monica continued to shout accusations at him.

"Go and fetch her, I don't want any poor panthers choking on her bones today," the clown commented, pulling out a handgun from the inside of his coat. He pointed it at his own men when they hesitated in going after the clown's henchgirl.

After a moment passed and they were still there the Joker pulled the trigger and shot a bullet into the ground near Blade's leg. The rest of the goons started to move towards the direction Harley had taken off in. If the clown was willing to kill one of his most resourceful goons he wouldn't hesitate in shooting the rest.

When only he and Monica remained her turned to look at her with a blank look on his face. He had missed most of her rant and by the looks of it she wasn't even halfway done.

"Come on, beautiful, you're still sore about that night?" he asked, sensing that all of her anger wasn't really fueled by their current predicament. Monica paused midsentence and locked eyes with the clown in front of her.

"I'm not the only one still licking my wounds," she shot back, noticing the small winces that he made whenever his back irritated him. The Joker turned his head to look at her when he heard this and wrapped a hand around her neck.

Monica's heartbeat quickened when he pinned her to a nearby tree and held her in place with his own body. The sadistic smile that he had on his lips irritated her to no extent, it made her want to punch him to see if he still held it after he had a broken nose.

"Do you regret that night?" he asked mockingly, his bottom lip in a pout as Monica scoffed at him. She growled when he brought up his free hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

"Do you?" Monica replied, answering his question with one of her own. She studied his face intently, trying to pick up on the slightest hint that he dropped. He didn't even blink which came as a disappointment to her. She got no response from his facial expression or his eyes.

"Scowling doesn't suit you, dear," he whispered to her while laughing as he tried to force her to smile with his hand. Monica grew tired of his mocking and lunged at his hand with her mouth. The clown laughed when her teeth latched on to the muscle between his thumb and index finger. His laughter irked her even more and made her bite down harder as he tried to pull away when a trickle of blood slid down the corners of her mouth.

The smile that refused to leave his face fueled Monica's fury when the taste of his blood filled her mouth.

Harley's scream, however, made Monica release the clown and spit out his blood before she pushed him off of her and headed towards the direction of the scream. The Joker on the other hand reached for her arm and held her in place as she tried to get out of his iron grip.

"Watch where you're walking doll," he whispered maniacally, wiping away the blood on her lips with his injured hand. Monica pulled her arm out of his grip and turned to walk away but stopped when she noticed an animal trap on the ground.

She stepped back when she noticed how well camouflaged it was, if it hadn't been for the clown she would have stepped on it and maimed her ankle. Her eyes drifted over to him as he rose his wounded hand up to his lips.

The clown winked at her as he placed his lips over the teeth marks that she had left behind and sucked at the blood that continued to ooze out of the torn skin.

Monica turned away from him and made sure to step over the trap as she headed in the direction that the clown's goons had gone. She didn't turn to make sure that the Joker was following after her, she knew he would. They were all out of their element and being separated in the middle of a rainforest decreased their chances of getting out alive.

When the pair reached the harlequin and the rest of the clown's goons Monica resisted the urge to face palm. The Joker merely stared at Harley with disappointment in his eyes as a cold chuckle left his bloodied lips when he saw the green tree python that was wrapped around her small body.

"You're making the snake apply more pressure when you try pulling it away from her," Blade commented, watching with disinterest as Chuckles and Happy wrestled with the snake. The harlequin was struggling to get more air into her lungs as the snake continued to coil around her chest.

Grumpy rolled his eyes and turned his back to her as she continued to struggle with the python. The rushing river behind her was the only thing that she could register as the reptile squeezed the life out of her.

The clown turned to look at her in disbelief when she lost her footing and dragged Happy and Grumpy into the rapids behind her. Monica's face paled when she saw the two goons go down because of the harlequin. She rushed forward along with Chuckles and Blade as they looked for a way to pull them out before the river spat them out with broken bones or worse, as corpses.

The Joker merely watched with interest as the trio found a fallen tree hanging over the river a few meters ahead from where the two goons and the harlequin were heading towards.

"It won't hold our weight, you have to do it," Chuckles realized, eyeing the thin log with desperation. Blade merely walked forward and grabbed Monica before urging her to climb on to the log to grab on to one of the three who were struggling to keep their heads above water.

"Can't we just pull them out downstream, where the river is calmer?" Monica asked, while Blade wrapped his arms around her waist and rose her up onto the log. The last thing they needed was for her to fall in also.

"There's a waterfall around the bend, do you want to pull out three maimed bodies?" Blade replied, urging her forward. Monica didn't need to be told twice, she balanced on the log carefully while making her way to the center.

She crouched down and wrapped her legs around it before hanging upside down and waiting for the trio to pass under her.

"She can't miss them," Chuckles commented, looking on anxiously while Blade shook his head and turned to grab a nearby vine for when they had to pull the other three out.

"Grab my hand!" Monica yelled, praying that one of the three would surface when they passed by her. Much to her relief Grumpy reached for her hand and held on before grabbing Happy who had been behind him. Happy on the other hand managed to hang on to Harley who had relieved herself of the snake by that time.

"I don't need your help!" Harley yelled, blinking when the rushing water continued to hit her face repeatedly.

"Really, darling?" Monica shouted back, grabbing on to Grumpy with both of her hands to make sure he didn't slip out of her grasp. "From my point of view, you need all the help you can get!"

The clown walked over to the two who were watching from dry ground but stopped when he noticed Harley pulling out a small revolver. The harlequin pointed it at the biker with rage in her eyes as the other woman stared down at her in disbelief.

"Shoot me!" Monica yelled at her, a sneer apparent on her face. "What are you waiting for? Shoot me!"

She couldn't believe her eyes, she was practically risking her life to save the harlequin and the other woman repaid her by pointing a gun at her.

Harley on the other hand wasn't in a state of mind for reasoning. She loathed the other woman with every fiber in her being. She had knocked her off of her pedestal without even trying when it came to being the clown's favorite. Harley on the other had given up everything to be with Gotham's clown prince of crime. Her job, her life, her sanity, everything.

She didn't deserve to be cast aside, not by the leader of the Bastards.

She pulled back on the trigger and hissed when another bullet hit the side of her gun and threw the gun off target. Harley turned her head towards the Joker only to see him holding on to a black Beretta. She felt her blood boil, if that had been her on the receiving side he would have let Monica put a bullet into her skull.

Monica on the other hand turned her head to look at the clown gratefully. She'd thank him later; at this point all she cared about was getting Grumpy and Happy out of the river. Harley could die for all she cared.

The Joker watched as Harley dried herself off and avoided his gaze. He would deal with her soon enough, she was proving to be more of a hassle than he had given her credit for.

"Baby, you're the greatest!" Grumpy laughed once they were on dry ground once more. Monica cried out with joy when he took her into his arms and spun her around. No words could amount to how much she liked the goon who was holding her. She was lucky that she had been stuck with him in an unknown part of the world.

"Put me down, you're all wet!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep her balance. Grumpy put her down after making sure that she was drenched and shook his head making her step away from him with a grin from ear to ear.

"Were in the Congo," Blade commented, looking at his phone with a bored expression on his face. Monica turned to look at him with disbelief when she realized that he could call someone to get them out of there.

"Well call someone, we need to get back to Gotham," Chuckles pointed out, the rest of the goons nodding along while Monica walked over and peeked over Blade's shoulder to look at the screen.

"It's dead, isn't it?" she asked, sensing the last ounce of batter had been used on the GPS. Blade turned his head to look at her and smiled slightly, something that made her back up a little bit. She had never seen him smile, it was a disturbing sight.

"Of course it is, they wouldn't have left a working phone with us, plus, the moment we call someone to help us they'll know," Blade replied, turning to look at the small group of goons in front of him. "We have to get back by ourselves without alerting them of our whereabouts."

"They?" Happy asked, turning his head to look at Blade with interest.

"The Penguin and the Dollmaker," Blade replied, throwing his phone into the river with a flick of his wrist. It was extra weight and utterly useless without a signal or battery.

"Why them?" Grumpy questioned, tilting his head. There was something that he wasn't seeing, something that bothered him without him even realizing it.

"Penguin wanted the boss out of there for obvious reasons," Blade replied, looking at the Joker who had kept quiet during the whole discussion. There was a reason that the clown kept Blade close, the young goon thought like him. He didn't need to voice his thoughts when the goon could do it for him, especially when he was tired. "And the Dollmaker wants your face, he couldn't risk it getting cut or damaged."

Monica felt her blood run cold when Blade told her this. The seriousness in the goon's voice sent a chill down her spine and her hand trailed up to her jaw once more. She couldn't even imagine the madman attempting to slice her face off.

A sickening crack reached their ears making the turn around to face the clown who had kept quiet the entire time.

A limp capuchin monkey dangled from the Joker's hand as he rose it up to his face level and tilted his head at it.

"We're going back," the Joker stated, tossing the dead monkey in his hand aside. Monica's saddened eyes followed it and stayed on it as it lay motionless on the ground. That could be her; all she had to do was say or do something to set him off. It was a reminder of how dangerous the clown truly was. The monkey hadn't done anything to him; it had merely chosen the wrong person to go near.

"But boss were in the middle of the Congo, it'll take a while for us to get out of here-" Happy commented before Grumpy elbowed him and stopped him from saying anything else. The Joker turned to look at Happy with a murderous glare, the last thing he needed was for someone to tell him how hard it was going to be to get out of the rain forest.

"If we reach Egypt I can get us a plane," Monica added, stopping the clown in his tracks as he moved forward to kill Happy. Harley looked up when she said this and resisted the urge to voice out her protests against this plan.

"We just need to get to Egypt," Monica whispered, her voice low as she stepped in front of Happy. The clown looked at her for a couple of seconds before he leaned away from his goon and smiled at her slightly.

"Lead the way then, beautiful," he chuckled, stretching out an arm for her. She eyed him carefully and noted his sudden change in moods one more. A moment ago he had been about to kill Happy, now he was offering his arm to her. She didn't want to test him right now, the last thing she needed was for him to go on a killing spree and dispose of one of his goons.

She stepped forward and hooked her arm around his nervously before he started to walk away. The Joker smiled when he noted the way that her hand was shaking, she was aware of the danger that she was in.

Good.

He didn't want her to forget that she was dancing with the devil.

He didn't want her to forget what price she might have to pay for tangling with him.

"She just saved your ass," Grumpy growled, hitting Happy over the back of his head before following after the pair. Happy rubbed the spot where the other goon had hit him before following after him. Blade shook his head slightly at his group before he and Harley followed after them. Chuckles trailed at the back to check for any trails that the others might have missed.

"This is going to be a long trip," Chuckles commented, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god, look at that!" Monica exclaimed, leaving the clown's side when she saw a group of men outside of a small shack beside a small road. They had been following it for quite a while hoping that they would eventually run into a village. It had been a miracle that they had even survived the harsh rainforest.<p>

Their trek through the wild had cost them nearly a month. She had a feeling that when they got back to Gotham there would be alot of changes. They were all tired, sore, and hungry. The only one who looked like he had just stepped out of the shower was the Joker. He had a fresh coat of grease paint on his face due to the extra cans that he kept in his coat. Said coat was hanging over his shoulder at the moment as he cracked his neck and examined what had caught Monica's attention.

"Do you sell them?" Monica asked, crouching in front of a hyena with a large muzzle on it. The man eased the tight grip that he had on the chain holding the animal and let it walk towards her. She ran her hand over its rough pelt and scratched it behind its ears as it attempted to nip at her hand. If it hadn't been for the muzzle she would have probably lost her hand.

She could hear the animal cackling despite having its mouth restrained. She had always felt fascination towards the spotted dogs, she loved them.

Monica stopped petting the animal when she noticed that it froze underneath her touch and sat on its hind legs like a dog at rest. Its owner's mouth dropped open as he looked over Monica's figure.

She turned to look back and understood why the man had changed his demeanor.

The Joker stood behind her, one leg resting on her back as she stayed crouched near the animal. The rest of the men who had hyenas on chains kept their distance out of fear towards the painted clown.

"Where's the nearest town-ah," the clown asked, running his tongue over his bottom lip before looking at the man menacingly.

"30 miles, that way!" he replied with a shaky voice. He pointed in the direction of the town and backed away from the pair quickly when the clown turned to look at the road once more.

"You didn't have to scar the man," Monica commented, looking longingly at the hyenas that laughed crazily for no reason at all.

"We're leaving," the Joker shot back, walking away from her as she paused and looked at the hyenas a little longer. The rest of her small group walked by, even Harley didn't give them a second glance.

"I'll buy you a goldfish, let's go!" the clown shouted at her, causing her to jump and turn to look at him. She had managed to keep his temper in check and save several of his goons throughout their trek through the jungle. Testing his patience now wasn't a very wise thing to do.

She turned away from the spotted dogs and jogged to catch up to him. If they were lucky they would be there before it got too dark. Despite everything she walked by his side at the head of the group and kept silent as he preoccupied himself with tossing his blade up in the air and catching it.

By the time they actually reached the small village darkness had already shrouded the desert that stood between them and Cairo. Monica groaned and sat down on the cold sand when they realized that they were in no condition to walk across the desert without any supplies or equipment.

During their long trip Monica had already cut off the legs on her jeans to make them into shorts and her shirt was now a midriff black scrap of clothing. Harley had followed suit and tied her shirt just below her chest and turned her leather jeans into short shorts as well. Grumpy and Chuckles had already rid themselves of their shirts and jackets.

"What now?" Grumpy asked, plopping down on the sand next to Monica with a groan. Without even thinking about it she moved over to him to massage his sore muscles. Whenever she had fallen behind he had offered to carry her on his back. The least she could do was relieve him of the pain that she had caused.

"Harley, get us some camels," Blade ordered, turning to look at the harlequin. Her confused expression proved how off guard the goon had caught her. She was about to protest and shout at him, telling him that he had no right to order her around when she recalled that she no longer held authority in the group. Bowing her head she passed by the clown and headed over to a couple of merchants who were at the edge of the village and desert.

Monica watched as they argued for over an hour. Harley motioned hysterically over to her group and made the silhouette of a gun with her hand. The biker groaned and realized that she was trying to threaten the men.

The Joker made no move to help her; on the contrary he turned away from the men preventing them from seeing his makeup covered face. An hour later, a defeated Harley neared her group with her head hung low.

"They didn't feel threatened, did they?" Chuckles commented, rolling around in the sand like a child in an attempt to cool himself off. Monica rolled her eyes at his childish actions and stood up from the sand.

She removed her boots and stretched before letting down her curled hair and shaking her head from side to side. The Joker watched her out of the corner of his eye as she walked barefoot over the sand towards the merchants who were still laughing at Harley´s attempts to threaten them.

The group watched with interest as Monica sat down with the men and talked for a while. Grumpy tilted his head when he watched her undo something from her ankle and hand it over to the men along with something around her wrist.

Moments later she walked over with five camels, each with their own supplies and water pouches hanging from the sides.

"Let's go," she commented, a small smile on her lips.

"How did you get them?" Happy asked, standing near one of them as it dipped its head and pushed the goon away.

"Don't worry about it," Monica replied, handing them the animals.

The Joker grit his teeth in annoyance when one of the camels dipped its head down to sniff and lick some of his hair. Monica stopped his hand before it could reach the camel's neck and slice it open with the knife that he held in it.

"We need them, your hair must have looked like grass to them," she explained, clicking her tongue and pointing at the ground as the camel went down on its knees and allowed her to climb on.

"You're driving, doll," the Joker commented, climbing on unceremoniously behind her and sprawling his body across the camel's back. Monica glanced back and noticed that he wasn't even sitting on the animal; he was just lying across from it. She had no doubt that he would be sleeping throughout the whole trip.

Harley climbed on behind Blade and rested her head against his back after yawning. Happy managed to climb on to his camel moments before he slipped right off and hit the sand beneath him with a groan.

Grumpy laughed at him as his own camel went down on its knees to let him up. Chuckles merely shook his head and made sure he was comfortable as he watched Happy have another go at mounting the camel.

After the third try, the goon managed to stay on the animal's back and hold on to the reins.

"It's straight to Cairo from here, we'll get a plane in the city and fly back to Gotham," Monica commented, noticing that the clown behind her had fallen asleep already.

Grumpy nodded back and snapped the reins, making the camel walk forward.

They had a long journey ahead of them and they had no idea what waited for them once they got back.

They would find nothing but ruins of buildings and ashes.

Gotham had fallen and so had its dark knight.

**Review! **


	46. Bailando Con El Enemigo

**Bailando Con El Enemigo**

**A/N: Such a long chapter and such a pain to write. Well I'll keep this note short since I haven't slept in days once more and I haven't eaten anything as of late which is a crime against humanity. Your reviews are the only thing that keep me going my dears, so while you read dont forget to leave a review. Thank you to all of those who reviewed the previous chapter, I don't have it in me to write back but I will in the near future. Well, with that said, enjoy!**

"We're lost again, aren't we?" Happy asked, crouching near the small pond that they had found near the Nile. Monica eyed him from behind her camel before her eye twitched at something in the water. She moved forward and pulled him back by the collar of his shirt in a fraction of a second.

A huge crocodile had shot out of the water towards his hand the moment he had turned his head to look at the exhausted group behind him. Grumpy rushed forward and helped her pull him away from the reptile before it could bite down on him. The crocodile hissed at the trio as it moved forward with is jaw open, ready to bite down on the first thing that got near it.

The Joker sighed at the stupidity of his goons before pulling out his Beretta once more and taking a shot when it got too close to the biker. Monica frowned when she saw the bullet pierce the animal's skull as its head fell over her calf. Chuckles rushed over to relieve the heavy crocodile head off of her along with Blade. If anything happened to the woman they would surely end up with their faces carved like the Riddler.

Harley sneered when she saw Chuckles pull Monica away while Blade lifted the animal's head. She hadn't gotten that treatment when the snake had coiled around her body. Instead, the goons had merely worsened the situation.

She refused to leave the clown's side as he turned away from his goons to look at their surroundings. They had lost their bearings a few hours ago, they didn't know if civilization lay up or downriver. If they chose they wrong way they would end up spending more time than they could afford to waste on trying to find a plane.

"I got blood on my leg," Monica commented grimly, staring down at the crimson splatters on her leg. Grumpy immediately offered her his shirt when he saw the stare that the clown was directing towards them. He didn't know if the Joker wanted him to give her the shirt or for him to back away.

"Its fine, I don't want to stain it with blood," Monica laughed awkwardly, afraid of how the goons were reacting around her whenever the clown was around. They rushed to her every need and request. On the other hand they often left Harley's needs last, they treated her as if she wasn't even there half of the time.

Grumpy helped Monica up and stayed by her side as Blade went over to the clown once more and whispered something to him. The Joker's eyes drifted over to the goon beside him for a brief moment before he tapped the camel beside him with the tip of his shoe. The animal immediately got up from its resting position and twisted its neck to look at the clown for further instructions.

"We're going downstream," Blade informed the rest of the group as the Joker turned and started to walk away. Monica sighed and tossed her hair back with a flick of her wrist before grabbing her camel's reins and leading it in the clown's direction.

Their rests were growing shorter and farther apart and it was starting to take its toll on the group.

"I know baby, that man it crazy, we just gotta' deal with him," Monica cooed as her camel pressed its head up against her back and pushed her forward as she walked. She reached back and rested a hand on its muzzle in an attempt to calm and reassure it. If they didn't get any time to rest, drink water, and eat they would end up dying soon. The Joker on the other hand didn't seem to care about the conditions of the animals or people in his group; all he wanted was to get back to Gotham as soon as possible.

They continued to walk for the rest of the day without resting. By the time that the sun was beginning to set Harley could barely place one foot in front of the other. Happy was sprawled over his camel's back and Grumpy was being dragged along by Chuckles who barely managed to keep him standing.

"Joker, we need to rest," Monica muttered, holding on to the reins in her hands with desperation. Her whole body ached and her dried lips did little to ease her stressed mind. Her head spun uncontrollably and her legs could barely hold her up.

She got no response from the clown; he didn't even turn to acknowledge her. Monica sighed and turned back to look at her group only to find Blade crouched near Harley's unconscious body. Grumpy was swaying in his spot, ready to go down as well, and Chuckles was trying to keep him moving.

"Joker, please," Monica pleaded, her voice cracking. Her throat had been dry for most of the day due to the little water that they had. She couldn't afford to drink all of it at once. The more the clown walked; however, she realized that she might not even make it through the day. She wondered how he still looked intact from when they had first started. It didn't seem like he had been through the rainforest and the desert.

She gave up and went down on her knees after seeing another patch of desert ahead. She preferred to stay near the Nile where they at least had water. She felt her breathing grow ragged as Blade turned to look at her and continued to walk.

"Boss, they can't take it any longer," the young goon commented, looking back at the fallen members of their group. Harley was the one that concerned him the most followed by Monica who was gasping for air a few feet back. They were used to going days without sleep, food, and water. They had to grow used to it when they chose to work for the madman who barely slept and ate very little. He didn't expect the two women in the group to grow accustomed to their routine in a matter of days.

The Joker stopped and looked back at the figures on the patch of grass near the Nile with disinterest in his eyes.

"If this continues tomorrow I'll slit their throats," the clown commented, whistling to the camel that walked behind him. The animal went down on its knees in relief and stretched out its neck with glee as it realized that they were done for the day. The Joker merely kept his gaze on Monica's unmoving body as Grumpy walked over to her and crouched to examine her.

"Come on, love," the goon whispered, picking her up with difficulty and walking over to where the rest of the camels had settled down for the night. He set her down against one of the lager animals and took a seat next to her in relief. His muscles burned and ached with every movement that he made and he was relieved to find out that they wouldn't be walking anymore.

"I'm freezing," Monica mumbled, turning to face Grumpy as he pulled her closer to him and wrapped an arm around her. The biker welcomed the warmth that his bare skin emanated while she rested her head against his chest and settled down beside him. Happy stretched before walking over to her with a blanket over his shoulder.

"The last thing we need is her getting sick," he commented, handing the blanket over to the other goon. Grumpy took it gratefully and wrapped it around the sleeping woman in his arms in a matter of seconds. Monica merely shifted into a more comfortable position and continued to sleep, unaware of everything around her.

The Joker shook his head at this and turned away. If he wanted to he could have put his gun up against her head and pulled the trigger and she wouldn't have felt a thing. It was certainly tempting to end her life then and there.

He merely ignored the rest of his goons as they settled down for the night and turned away from them. They weren't going to accomplish anything if they kept up their current pace. The clown merely walked away from the small makeshift camp that they had set up and ventured further into the small oasis that lay before them.

After finding a clear path he returned to the small group and sat down underneath a tree knowing that the sun would be unbearable in matter of hours. He rested his head up against the bark behind him and closed his eyes. Sleep was a luxury that he couldn't afford at the moment, the most he could do was rest his eyes.

By the time that the sun had risen the goons had already woken up and started to scout the area for anything of use. Monica woke before Grumpy and managed to unwind herself from his grip as she stood up slowly and looked around.

Most of the goons were already gone; the only ones who remained were Happy and Grumpy. It wasn't long before they too were up and about. The biker merely walked towards the edge of the Nile where a small group of palm trees provided shade on the bank.

The Joker was nowhere to be seen and that unnerved her to some degree. How could she miss the man when he was dressed in purple from head to toe with garish makeup on his face? It wasn't until she felt his breath on her neck that she realized that she had just walked into his trap.

"May I enquire what you were about to do?" the clown asked, tilting his head while purposefully staying close behind her. Monica turned her head to look at him over her shoulder with a blank stare.

"I thought I would feed the fish before we left, poor dears, they look famished," she replied, her tone dripping with annoyance and sarcasm. "What does it look like I was doing? I was planning on cooling off."

The clown snorted upon hearing this and stepped back away from her. He found it absurd that she had been about to jump into the Nile just to cool down.

"No," he stated, standing beside her. Monica turned her head to look at him with disbelief written all over her features. Since when did he control and run her life?

"Watch me," she growled in response as she stepped forward but stopped when she felt his hand wrap around the back of her neck. Her body immediately tensed when she felt him pull her back to him.

Despite all of her struggling, his grip remained firm and she couldn't pull away.

He wasn't planning on letting her anywhere near the water, that was the last thing he needed. It had been over a month since they had been lost. One long month without the company of a woman for most of his men, he didn't need her walking around and acting as a temptation. She had stopped him time and time again from killing Happy and Chuckles whenever their gaze lasted longer on her than what he would have liked.

"Why can't I go in the damn water?" Monica asked, relaxing in his grip. She had learned from experience, the more she struggled the more pain she inflicted upon herself.

"You'd be a distraction," the clown shot back, releasing her when she laughed heartedly at his reply.

"Is our clown prince of crime jealous?" Monica asked an amused glint in her eye as she turned to look at him. Once again, she got no verbal or physical response from the clown. He was completely apathetic towards her.

"I'll finish what Harley started if you go near the shore," he stated, a smile stretching across his lips as Monica smirked right back at him.

"Give me a break, clown," she mocked, stepping forward as his jaw clenched at her approach. Monica on the other hand was enjoying herself while pushing his limits. Something about him drew her in without fail every time. She didn't remember if it was the feel of his scars or his possessive nature. There was something that brought her back to him and refused to die in her mind. No matter how horrifying he was at times she always returned to him.

The fact that she was dancing with the enemy on the edge of an abyss didn't seem to faze her. It seemed to excite her further. He was the most dangerous and unpredictable man in Gotham and she reveled in the thought of having him near.

The Joker, on the other hand, stepped back when he saw her take a step towards him. He had made a mistake when he had slept with her. He had realized this far too late, there was no way to erase her out of his mind. The taste of her blood hadn't quite left his mouth yet and the sounds that she had made hadn't left his mind either. He wanted her, all of her. From her raven hair to her now tan skin. She had become his obsession ever since the night he had spent with her.

She was the only one who had dared talk back to him and assault him time and time again, something that never failed to make him smile madly. The other bonus that came with having her near was the fact that she controlled a large part of Gotham's criminals now that she held sway over several of the mob bosses. She was as useful to him as he was to her.

There was no love or passion between the two and there never would be. Just obsession and a need for one another that would never truly be satisfied. Monica understood this; she had never expected anything else from him. The clown was content with their silent agreement, it suited him perfectly.

"Just let me take a quick bath," Monica requested, eyeing the water in the river eagerly as the Joker chuckled at her stubbornness.

"No," he laughed, enjoying the look of aggravation that crossed through her eyes.

"Why can't you just be a normal person for one day and let me take a quick bath!" she protested as she shoved him away. The clown stumbled, caught off guard by her backlash before he recovered and cracked his neck in annoyance.

"Because we both know," he replied, walking towards her as she clenched her fist and pulled it back while aiming at his cheek. He caught it before it could reach its target and pulled her towards him once more while turning her and pulling her hand back. Monica cringed when he pressed her up against one of the palm trees and held her arm behind her back with glee. "There's plenty wrong with me," he whispered in her ear as she sighed in irritation.

"I'm done with having people telling me what to do and what not to do," Monica snarled, head-butting him as the clown released her and held his hand over his nose in alarm. He shook his head at her and lowered his hand to reveal blood trailing down his lips and chin.

The biker froze when the reality of what she had done sunk in. She had just hit the clown prince of crime and broken his nose. Something like that was like asking for your own death warrant.

"Do it again," he hissed at her, eyes dark and storming. Monica remained frozen in front of him, scared that she had just crossed the line with the clown. "Come on, hit me." The Joker dared, motioning her towards him with his hands.

Monica wasn't sure of what she was expected to do. Surely he wasn't being serious when he said to hit him again, right?

"You're not scared of me, are you?" he mocked, walking forward as Monica tried to move away. Her body wasn't responding to her commands anymore. She jumped when his hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her over to him. Her breath hitched when he placed her hand over his bloody nose with a blank expression on his face. He released her hand and she allowed it to stay over his lips for a few more seconds before pulling it back.

Her bloodstained fingers with crimson and white stared back at her as her scared eyes trailed up to his unreadable chocolate orbs.

"Aren't ya gonna' kiss it to make it better?" he asked, a sadistic smile tugging at the corner of his lips as Monica breathed out unevenly. He loved to torture her whenever he got the chance; he found that mind games were often the best way entertaining himself with her.

Instead of her running away from him like he had expected, however, he felt her chapped lips on the bridge of his nose. A splitting pain shot up his spine when she did this but he didn't seem to mind, on the contrary he turned his head towards her and crashed his scarred lips down onto hers.

Monica sighed in slight relief when she felt his hands grip her waist and pull her closer to him. He wasn't holding any knives or guns. She could feel as the blood from his nose stained her own face along with his white and red makeup.

He pulled away from her and moved on to her neck as he slowly pulled her with him towards the edge of a mud bank nearby. Monica ran a hand through his hair and dug her nails into the back of his neck when he bit down on the most sensitive part of her neck. The clown growled in the back of his throat when he felt her nails pierce his skin and draw blood.

"You're mine," he growled possessively increasing the grip that he held on her. Monica whined in his ear when the pain from having him hold on so tightly made her squirm in his grasp. He needed to make sure that she knew this and that his men knew it as well. There was no doubt in his mind that there would be visible bruises on her hipbones from where he was holding her.

Monica bit down on his left ear to relieve her pain and in an attempt to get him to ease the grip that he held on her.

"I'm yours, now ease up on the grip," she hissed at him through clenched teeth. The clown smiled against her collarbone when he heard this and tilted his head up to kiss her once more before he suddenly let her go. Monica was caught off balance and held on to his tie in an attempt to prevent herself from falling backwards. She realized that they were on the edge of a mud bank and that the Nile lay beneath them.

"Feel free to take a bath now," the clown commented, taking out his knife and looking at her with gleaming eyes. Monica's own chocolate orbs widened when she realized what he was about to do. She had planned on going in the water but not by falling backwards into it. With one last smile and a wink the clown sliced off his tie and with it the only thing that kept Monica on firm ground.

She fell back into the water and surfaced after a few seconds with a glare fixed at the clown. His cackles reached her ears as he stared at her drenched form and tried to compose himself. She knew it was useless, he was mad, there was no way he would never be sane enough to control himself whenever someone around him was in pain.

"I hope that hurt," Monica commented with a smile on her face as she watched the clown crack his nose back into place. The Joker turned to look at her after her comment and crouched near the edge of the mud bank with a grin on his scarred lips.

"I thought I was supposed to be the sadistic one, beautiful," he replied, tilting his neck and clicking his tongue. Monica rolled her eyes at him and went under to avoid looking at him and to wipe off all of his makeup and blood from her face.

The clown stood when he saw her disappear beneath the water and turned away from the bank when he realized that they had taken a long enough rest.

"Come on, we're leaving," he stated, reaching towards Monica when she resurfaced and tried to tame her hair back into place. Before she could finish wiping away all of the makeup the clown's hand wrapped around the back of her torn shirt and pulled her out.

She didn't even bother in voicing her protests anymore, she wouldn't achieve anything and she would just be wasting her time and energy. What else could she have expected? For her to actually have time to wipe off all of the dirt and blood from her body? She sighed at her own stupidity, of course not.

She followed after the clown while trying to get all of the water out of her hair before they reached the camp. By the time that they made it back all of his goons were ready to go and waiting for the clown.

Harley's sharp eyes caught a trace of the white makeup on Monica's cheek when the biker walked past her and tossed her hair over her shoulder. The harlequin felt a sharp pang of jealousy shoot through her when she saw the Joker's scarred smile. The red near the tips of his scars and lips had been disturbed and mixed with the white from his face. To anyone else but her it would have seemed normal for the clown to have his makeup out of order.

"Come here," Grumpy commented, calling Monica over as she stopped in front of him with a confused look on her face. He reached over and wiped the last trace of white grease makeup from her cheek with his thumb. "Erase all the evidence next time, love."

Monica felt her face turn red when Grumpy laughed at her expression. She smacked his arm in an attempt to get him to shut up before anyone else noticed. Before she could suffer any more embarrassment she walked away from him to check on her camel that rested at the back of the camp.

Happy and Chuckles followed her with their eyes as she passed by and crouched to check on the animal. The Joker's eyes stayed on the pair of goons as Blade filled him in on everything he had learned from scouting the area. Grumpy took notice of the way the clown was staring at the pair a few feet away and walked over to them in an attempt to save them from his wrath.

"Quit staring, she belongs to the boss," Grumpy snarled, snapping his fingers at the pair who immediately adverted their gaze elsewhere. The clown kept his eyes on them until Monica was back by his side.

He turned away from his goons and watched as she climbed on to her camel before taking the rains in his hands and leading it away. Blade followed behind with his own camel trailing behind him. Grumpy merely took advantage of the long day ahead of them to catch up on some much needed sleep.

By the time they had reached Cairo the sun had already set and most of the city was busy going about their daily lives.

The clown knew that the only way that they were going to get back to Gotham would be to get their hands on a private plane and leave as soon as they could. It wouldn't be an easy task, however.

"Just stay here and try not to kill anyone," Monica commented, sliding off of her camel as she walked towards the entrance of a private airport and left her small group behind. They watched intently as she talked calmly to the guard near the entrance for a few minutes before he let her in.

The Joker shifted uncomfortably when she took a while in coming back. When she did, however, it was with a smile on her face and open gates for the rest of her group. Happy and Chuckles rushed into the airport, happy to see civilization once more followed by Harley and Grumpy. Blade paused near the gate where Monica was standing and eyed her carefully. Without saying a word he entered as well and headed over to the plane that had been offered to them.

"Where's your necklace, doll?" the clown asked as he neared the entrance and startled the guard. The man mumbled something unintelligible before rushing away towards the small town a few miles away.

Monica glanced down to where her gold necklace usually rested and dropped her smile for a few moments.

"I had to-"

"And your anklet?" the clown asked, interrupting her as she stared down at her bare ankle and then back up at him. She was about to open her mouth and explain herself but she came up blank. The Joker merely frowned at her and grabbed her arm before leading her over to the plane.

She had exchanged all of her jewelry in order to get them the transportation that they would need without blowing their cover. The clown didn't approve of her methods, it that had been him he would have obtained everything at gunpoint.

"Get us off of the ground, boy!" the Joker barked. He was fighting back the urge to get off and shoot the man that had given them the plane. As much as he wanted to he knew he couldn't unless he wanted to alert the Penguin and the Dollmaker of their whereabouts. When he got back he was going to slaughter all of them and watch as their blood stained the streets. He was already relishing the sounds of their agonized screams. The mere thought of it put a smile on his scarred face.

"Yes, sir," Blade replied, checking all of the levers and lights. After making sure that everything was right he put on the pilot's headpiece and turned to look at Happy who already had the co-pilot headpiece on.

In a matter of minutes the pair had already managed to get the plane off of the ground. Monica settled back against her seat beside Grumpy and rested her head on his shoulder. The Joker merely stretched out on the two seats across from her and used a nearby magazine to cover his face.

Harley took her seat several rows back in order to prevent herself from having to interact with the biker or the clown. She didn't know what she was going to do when she got back to Gotham. What could she do, now that she had ruined her reputation and her career? Go at it alone? She would be dead within a month without the clown prince of crime.

She rested her head back against her seat in an attempt to put her troubled thoughts at rest for the time being. There was no use in stressing herself out when she still had time to think things through properly.

It wasn't until they were nearing Gotham that the reality of the situation sunk in. Even through the windows they could tell that the city had undergone several bomb attacks and fires. The dark of the night did little to hide the fact that half of the buildings were now ruins.

"Oh my god," Harley whispered, moments before the plane shook violently and one of the wings broke off. Someone had just fired a rocket at them. The ex-psychologist felt her blood run cold when alarms started to go off and the plane started to loose altitude rapidly.

The goons grabbed on to the nearest seats, already used to having their planes shot down. The Joker on the other hand looked out of the window eagerly while cackling like a hyena. Monica couldn't tear her eyes off of the madman as his eyes regained their familiar murderous spark.

"We're going down hard!" Blade yelled, attempting to pull the plane up for a less hazardous landing. Monica could only close her eyes and hold on to Grumpy for dear life as the clown stabbed a knife into the side of the plane and held on moments before they hit the canals surrounding Gotham.

They all flew back and crashed into the seat behind them before the plane broke in two and started to sink into the bottom of the canal. Freezing water started to flood the plane in a matter of seconds making it difficult for the already stunned criminals to regain their senses in time to save themselves.

"We need to get out before the plane takes us with it!" Happy shouted above the roaring of the water. Grumpy nodded and held on to Monica who was paralyzed with fear. The Joker rolled his shoulders and preoccupied himself with cracking open the pilot's window. The plane was sinking down tail first; their only hope was to get out through the front.

"Bang!" the clown laughed, holding a shotgun to the glass and pulling the trigger. The glass shattered in a matter of seconds and gave in as he climbed out and reached for Monica before he pulled her out and looked around. They could make it to the shore if they hurried and the water didn't stop their bodies.

The biker turned and helped Grumpy out moments before they proceeded to getting everyone else out as well. With their plane underwater the small group swam towards the shore with haste, the cold water slowing their movements as time went by.

By the time they had gotten out of the water they muscles barely responded to their commands and their teeth chattered loudly. The small beach was completely abandoned and littered with the bodies of dead cops.

Monica glanced around in alarm before she turned to look at the clown and his men.

"I want you and the boy to stay with her," the Joker ordered, turning to Grumpy as the goon nodded in understanding. Blade on the other hand opened his mouth to protest for the first time against something that the clown had said. The clown would be more vulnerable without him and Grumpy.

"Boss this is a bad idea-"

"It wasn't a suggestion, kid," the clown replied, clicking his tongue in annoyance. Blade closed his mouth upon seeing the glare that the Joker was directing him. He would be foolish if he decided to go up against the madman, especially when it came to a decision.

He walked over to Monica and stood by her right side with Grumpy on her left.

"What are we gonna do boss?" Happy asked, noticing that the Joker wasn't in the best state for anything other than resting and recovering his strength. He was bleeding all over the place and his makeup was starting to fade.

"We're gonna kill everyone," the clown replied with an eerie smile on his face. He turned without saying another word and started to walk off into the city. "She doesn't come near me and no one goes near her."

Monica heard this and rushed forward when she saw the clown walking away from her. Harley grinned from ear to ear when she noticed that she had been chosen by the clown over Monica in order to be with him. The harlequin stuck out her tongue at the biker before running after the clown and the two other goons.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Monica yelled at the clown as he continued to walk away from her. She didn't like being left behind, she felt useless.

"Don't question him, darling," Grumpy commented, pulling her away from the direction of the clown. Monica shrugged him off and sighed in irritation before a red dot fell over his chest. She stared at it briefly as it traveled up his neck and stopped on his head.

"Get down!" she yelled, pulling him out of the way just in time as a shot rang out and a bullet whizzed by over his head.

"Deadshot?" Blade commented, pressing himself up against a wall for cover as Monica dragged Grumpy over to it and made sure that he was alright.

"No, he never misses," Grumpy added, relieved to still be alive. He owed his life to the woman next to him.

"It has to be someone else," Monica observed, keeping still afraid of moving and exposing their location. How were they supposed to get to her apartment if they couldn't even get away from the beach?

"On three, we run," Blade whispered, turning his head and motioning over to a nearby alley. If they could reach it they could make a run across the street and use the buildings as cover. They wouldn't be as exposed as they were on the beach.

A nearby grenade pin being pulled, however, startled the trio as it was tossed a few feet away from them. They stared at it for a fraction of a second before reality sunk in and they darted away from it.

Using the explosion as a distraction they headed over to the ruins of the buildings with bullets being fired at their heads. Much to their surprise they all missed and the trio made it out of the beach with minor wounds.

"Hell of a welcome party," Monica commented, gasping for air as Blade nodded and Grumpy looked around and kept watch. He would rather die than let any harm fall upon Monica, if the clown so much as registered a new scratch on her he would sink them alive and hang them from the bridge so that the world would be able to see them.

"All we need is for our luck to continue until we reach the apartment," Blade added, taking a moment to try and recognize where they were. Once he realized that they were near the Narrows his breathing calmed and his heart slowed to a normal pace.

He poked his head out of the alley in an attempt to check their surroundings and returned to the pair who had been waiting a few feet away.

"We just have to walk a few blocks and we'll be safe," Blade informed them as beads of sweat rolled down his temple. If something went wrong and they lost the boss' favorite he was willing to kill himself in order to save himself the torture of having the clown kill him.

"Alright, let's go," Monica urged, wanting to be in the safety of her apartment already. She didn't like the new Gotham. Everyone was hostile and there weren't any people roaming the streets anymore. She wondered what had happened during their absence.

The last thought that ran through her mind before Grumpy grabbed her hand with his own, however, regarded one person only.

Bruce.

What had happened to Bruce?

He was the Bat, right?

He was supposed to protect Gotham from the criminals that had escaped form Arkham. Fear started to creep its way back into her mind when she realized that they had made a loud entrance and the dark knight was nowhere to be seen.

Her thoughts were cut short when Grumpy pulled her to him and rushed out into the street, bullets whizzing by and grazing their boots.

"What the hell happened to this place?" Blade shouted back, horrified at the conditions that Gotham found itself in.

Monica found herself following the pair blindly. She too, wondered the same thing.

What had happened to Gotham?

Better yet, what had happened to Batman?

**Review! No, seriously, it's the only thing that keeps me going. I want to see the guys who always review (you know who you are and I love you all) and some new faces so don't be shy and review! **


	47. Tigers Don't Change Their Stripes

**Tigers Don't Change Their Stripes**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait my dears! My laptop decided to stop working for quite a while and I was left without a computer to write on. It's currently 4AM and let me tell you...Im feeling it. I hope you like this chapter since I am barely getting my muse back for this story. And 28 reviews...28 REVIEWS! YEAH, YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! Anyway, enjoy :D**

"We're out of food, aren't we?" Monica asked, looking at Grumpy who merely stared at the empty pantry with a look of dismay on his face. His weary eyes trailed over to her before he closed the door and nodded slowly.

"We need to go out," he commented, sighing heavily.

Blade's eyes shot up to look at the other goon when the words left his lips. Going out wasn't an option, the clown had made it very clear. He didn't want Monica anywhere other than the apartment in the Narrows.

"No," the younger goon snapped, cracking his knuckles in the process as Monica glared at him and directed her gaze elsewhere. She felt hopeless in the apartment, trapped even. Fresh air hadn't made its way into her lungs for over a week and she was getting restless.

"We could just starve ourselves to death," Monica suggested, a blank look on her expression as she stretched out on the couch like a cat. Blade clenched his jaw when he heard this and pondered his options.

The Joker had yet to appear and they wouldn't last much longer if they chose to remain in the complex. On the other hand, going outside meant having to watch their backs and risk their lives for a couple of cans of food.

"I think we're going for the latter," Grumpy commented, leaning against a wall as he saw Blade's unchanging expression. The younger goon always listened to the Joker's orders, no matter how insane or extreme they were.

"Get your gun, we're going out whether the clown likes it or not," Monica commented, swinging her legs over the couch and standing. Her vision blackened for a few moments and her head spun, the effects of going without food and sleep were starting to take their effects.

Grumpy hesitated but reached for his handgun when he saw Monica stalking over to the door.

"You can stay here or come along, it's your choice," Monica called back, not bothering herself with looking at the younger goon. Blade merely shot out of his seat and stuffed his pockets with his gun and several magazines.

He could remain in the apartment and wait for the Joker to get back or he could go with her and make sure that no harm befell her. He chose the latter; he would rather be beaten for disobeying the clown than killed for letting his pawn walk out of the door unprotected.

"You'll need this," Grumpy commented, throwing over Blade's knife as the other goon closed the door behind him and walked after them. They were taking a risk in walking out in the middle of the night; something was bound to go wrong.

Blade looked around as they neared the entrance of the building, his body tense and ready to pounce on the first thing that moved. After making sure that the coast was clear he motioned for the other two that were waiting for him a couple of feet away.

Grumpy pulled Monica closer to him as they rushed to get out of the street and into a nearby alley. They would have to use the shadows to their advantage and hope that they didn't come across anyone.

"This is too easy," Blade whispered, eyeing the entrance to a large market that they had come across after an hour of running in the shadows.

Grumpy turned to look at him briefly before he eyed their surroundings. Everything was eerily quiet, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Let's just get this over with and go back," Monica murmured, stepping forward only to get stopped by Blade. She paused and stared at him with a confused look on her face as he shook his head and stepped in front of her. Rolling her eyes, she followed after him with Grumpy trailing at the back.

She didn't understand why they were so overprotective of her, if she got herself killed then she got herself killed. They were making a big deal out of nothing, whatever was meant to happen _would _happen, no matter what they did or how many bullets they used.

"Alright, get whatever you need, we'll be right behind you," Blade ordered, stepping into the store while avoiding the shards of glass that were still attached to the frame of the broken glassed door.

Monica stepped in after him and pulled the backpack that she had been carrying on her shoulder down while unzipping it. She walked carefully and quietly down several isles putting whatever she found useful into the black bag.

She could tell that several people had already scavenged through the market, shelves had been knocked over and blood splatters covered most of the floor. Occasionally she would have to step over several corpses in order to get something that she wanted. It sickened her to an extent, the faster she got out of there the better.

The lack of lighting didn't help either, she found herself tripping over knocked over boxes and cans. Noise from outside also echoed off of the walls giving her some sort of comfort, at least everything wasn't as silent as it had been when they had first arrived.

When she rounded another corner, however, she froze at the sight that stared back at her. She instantly cursed inwardly and made an attempt to backtrack before their cover was blown.

Blade, however, ran into her back while Grumpy followed suit and knocked over a jar of mayonnaise on the shelf alerting the other party of their presence. Monica wanted to face palm, why was it that every time she went out she had to run into some sort of trouble.

"Ah, _liebe, _vhat a coincidence," Victoria's smooth voice laughed, eyeing Monica from top to bottom with a predatory gaze. The blond could tell that the two men that stood behind the biker were her only company by the panicked look in the other woman's eyes.

Monica counted the men that Victoria had with her…five. She only had two and a couple of bullets. There was no way they were going to make it out of there in one piece.

"Shopping as well, I see," Monica commented, zipping her backpack up. She was running through every possible scenario in her head. They could try to make a dash for the entrance and pray that a bullet didn't find its way into their bodies, she found that highly unlikely. Or they could stand their ground and get gunned down either way.

She didn't like either of her options.

"Naturally, our varehouse of supplies vas bombed yesterday," Victoria replied, handing her bag over to one of her men. Monica tensed when she saw the other woman walk forward.

Instinctively both of the goons behind her rose their guns up beside her and kept them locked on the blond who immediately froze and rose her hands up beside her head.

"I must say I am impressed vith _his _men, zhey have good reflexes," the blond laughed, shaking her head while dropping her hands, "I do not feel like shedding blood tonight, liebe."

Monica watched as Victoria's men rose up their guns in response to Blade and Grumpy's reactions. All they needed was for one side to pull the trigger for a war to break out in between them.

The brunette watched as the other woman walked over to a nearby shelf and pulled out a box that she had been looking for for over an hour.

"Don't you dare take that box," Monica warned, glare fixed on the other woman. Victoria looked up at her and smiled wickedly before she tossed the box to one of her men.

"Vhat are you going to do, kill me over a box of pastries?" the blond replied while chuckling.

Monica merely sighed and reached back for the Beretta that the clown had left behind. It had saved her life countless times when the Joker had used it; she only hoped that her luck didn't run out while she used it.

"Shoot her," the brunette ordered, a sneer on her face as she pulled the trigger and managed to hit Victoria. Grumpy and Blade both rained down a stream of bullets on the other group before they had a chance to react and managed to take out all but two of the men that had accompanied the blond to the market.

"You idiots!" Victoria screeched, holding her side while hiding behind a shelf. The two remaining men that had been with her rushed to her side to examine the damage. When she pulled her hand back, however, they realized that they had to get her back to their hideout where a doctor could treat her. She would bleed out otherwise.

Monica on the other hand pressed her back up against a stack of boxes and looked across at Grumpy who preoccupied himself with reloading his gun. Blade stayed beside her the entire time as she poked her head out of her cover and shot a couple of more times, she didn't want to give them the chance to shoot back at them. They finally had the upper hand; they weren't going to lose it that easily.

"Call my father and get me out of here! I vant that bitch's head on a silver platter!" Victoria shrieked, trying to stop the bleeding by applying pressure down onto her wound.

Monica watched as her two remaining men managed to carry her out of the market while she and Grumpy continued to shoot at them. She didn't put her gun down until she was sure that they were gone.

"Are you crazy, we could have gotten killed!" Grumpy snapped, looking at Monica in disbelief as she stepped out of her cover and walked over to the box that Victoria had dropped.

"I told that whore to let go of my Twinkies, it's not my fault she didn't listen," Monica replied, opening her bag while placing the yellow pastries in it. Grumpy's jaw dropped open when he heard her reply.

"You nearly got us killed because of Twinkies?" he yelled, outraged, "you're just like the boss, he risked your life over a recipe for chocolate chip cookies!"

Monica could register him yelling at her, she merely concentrated on blocking his voice out. Blade walked over and picked up the discarded bag of supplies that Victoria had left behind, at least they had more food now.

It was only when she turned to look at Grumpy that she realized that he was still yelling at her for her carelessness. Something snapped within her, she had finally reached her limits. She didn't need him yelling at her, she had enough of that with the Joker.

"This wasn't because of the Twinkies, you idiot," Monica murmured, strapping the gun to the side of her hip with a dark expression on her face. Blade looked up when he heard her tone change. He threw a look over to Grumpy who immediately stopped scolding her and paused to listen. "She gunned down my father and mother when I was young."

Grumpy's face paled and his temper cooled in an instant. Blade shook his head and rammed his shoulder into the other goon as he passed by and headed over to the entrance, had had enough for one night. All he wanted to do was go back to the apartment. Knowing their luck the clown would be waiting for them ready to snap their necks for disobeying him.

"I didn't know," Grumpy murmured, feeling guilty as Monica turned away from him and stared blankly at the small blood droplets on the floor where Victoria had been minutes ago. She prayed that the blond bled out before they got any medical attention for her. She was even willing to sell her soul to the devil in order to guarantee Victoria's death.

"Let's just go, Grumpy," Monica replied, stopping him before he could continue. She knew that he would apologize endlessly for yelling at her but at the moment she didn't feel like hearing any of it. She had already forgiven him anyway; there was no point in beating the dead horse.

She started to walk away from the goon without saying another word. He merely followed after her with his head hung low and a frown on his lips.

Blade was waiting for them at the entrance with an impatient look on his face, by the time that they were heading back to the apartment the chaos in Gotham had reached its peak. It was past midnight and the criminals were barely getting started.

With little to no police left, fires were started daily and explosions had become routine to the small trio making their through the city.

"Wait," Blade hissed, stopping them just as they were going to cross another street. A small group of hired guns that were patrolling the streets paused when they heard shuffling and rose their guns in alarm.

"Shit," Grumpy whispered, pulling Monica deeper into the alley in an attempt to blend in better with the darkness. The patrol neared the gap in between the two buildings where the trio hid and paused as if checking it out from where they stood.

"They're Nazis," Monica groaned, recognizing the swastikas on their necks and arms. Victoria had already run crying to her father about what had happened and he had probably sent out his men to look for her.

One of the Germans remained near the entrance with his back to them while the rest spread out and started to search the area more thoroughly. The trio waited impatiently for them to move on in order to leave.

It was only when Blade caught a sight of a large rat bolting out of a nearby sewer that he panicked. He prayed that Monica hadn't seen it but when he saw the way her body tensed up and her arms wrapped around herself he knew it was too late.

He moved forward and covered her mouth with his hand as she groaned and attempted to kick the rodent away. Grumpy tried to shove it away as well but failed when the rat refused to leave and kept approaching them.

Blade could feel as Monica's fear continued to increase, he could feel her body shake violently against his chest as the rodent neared her and sniffed her ankle. Her eyes widened and a scream left her lips as she felt the rat lick her skin with its scratchy tongue.

The German near the entrance turned when he heard muffled screams and called over several of the other men. Blade began to drag Monica away when she refused to calm down while Grumpy tried to rid himself of the rat quietly. The rodent want having any of that, however, it could smell the food on them and wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Run!" Blade growled, dragging Monica away before he shoved her out of the alley and away from the approaching Germans. He preoccupied himself with blocking their way once they discovered them and looked back only once while urging her to get away.

Grumpy glanced at her as well over his shoulder before raising his gun and firing at the approaching Nazis. Monica turned away from them and ran away with panic apparent in her expression. Her chest heaved as she tried to run as fast as her legs allowed her to.

She could hear several footsteps behind her; with her luck some of the Germans had made it past the two goons and had probably followed after her. The only reason that they weren't shooting at her was because Victoria wanted her alive.

Monica's chest pounded as she frantically looked for a way to lose them. A nearby botanical garden caught her eye, perhaps she could get rid of them there. She rushed over and jumped through a cracked window before rushing into the dense foliage that surrounded her in a matter of minutes.

She tired her best to avoid breaking branches and damaging leaves, she didn't want to leave behind a trail after all. The Germans, however, preoccupied themselves with wrecking whatever got in their way. Monica could hear as they snapped branches and knocked over small trees.

By the time that she reached what she guessed was the middle of the large garden the noise had decreased drastically. It went from sounding like ten men were after her to only two.

She paused to catch her breath and looked back with slight fear. Only one German made it out of the bushes and trees that she had just run through.

"Come here, girl," he snarled at her, the knife in his hand gleaming dangerously under the moonlight. Monica shook her head and stepped back defiantly. He took a step forward and reached out to grab her before she kicked him away. The man coughed when he felt the blow to his stomach and pulled his own hand back to punch her.

Monica managed to dodge by a faction of an inch and kneed him in the stomach before punching him and taking the knife from his hand. After recovering from her assault, the German looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and then at the knife in her hand.

He was about to lunge at her in order to get it back and subdue her when a voice behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Didn't your mother teach you how to treat women?" Ivy asked, shaking her head in dismay as the man turned to look at her. Monica stared at the redhead in shock as Ivy leaned forward and kissed the man.

The brunette watched as the German froze the moment Ivy's lips met with his own. Moments later Ivy stepped over his body as it dropped dead in front of her.

"Dear, what have you gotten yourself into?" Ivy asked, examining Monica as she always did whenever they crossed paths. Monica on the other hand kept her eyes on the redhead's lips. There was something about them that had managed to paralyze and kill a man, that alone scared her.

"Look at yourself, you're all wet," Ivy pointed out; staring at Monica's soaked clothes. The redhead moved forward and brushed a strand of drenched hair away from Monica's face making her freeze the moment she felt the other woman's hands on her skin.

"Why are you here?" Monica asked, finding the strength to talk after what she had just witnessed. It was only when she ran her own question through her mind that she realized how stupid it truly was.

She was in a botanical garden filled with flowers and plants, why wouldn't Ivy be here?

"I think you just answered that by yourself," Ivy laughed, seeing a look of embarrassment cross Monica's eyes.

"I have to go," Monica commented, stepping away from the redhead. There was something dangerous and alluring that drew Monica in, she wasn't sure that it was a good thing. She had heard several things about Ivy; she liked to seduce her victims before doing them in with a kiss.

Her fatal poisonous kiss.

"Of course," Ivy replied nodding her head in slight disappointment. She had been longing to see the clown's favorite for a while and now that she finally had her she had to leave. "You did a good job in avoiding damaging my babies on your way in; make sure you do the same when you leave."

It took Monica several seconds to realize what the other was telling her. Ivy didn't want her breaking any branches or damaging any flowers or leaves. They were her "babies" after all.

"Thank you," Monica added, coming to the conclusion that Ivy had taken care of the men that had been following her. The redhead merely nodded in acknowledgement and watched as Monica turned her back on her and started to walk away cautiously.

"I'm starting to like you even more, I can see why he keeps you near," Ivy murmured, observing the way that the brunette went out of her way to prevent herself from touching a single leaf or vine.

She would have to pay the clown a visit soon; hopefully the brunette would be there as well. It was only when Monica was gone and out of sight that Ivy realized that she hadn't seen Harley in a while either.

The redhead could only guess what had happened to Quinn. Perhaps she was still clinging to the Joker, perhaps she was already dead. She would have to find out about her as well when she crossed paths with the clown.

She had a feeling that would be sooner than later.

OoOoOoOo

Monica rushed up the stairs to her apartment complex and walked hurriedly over to her door. She was relieved to find the streets cleared of any criminals on her way back; she was in no state to fight anyone off.

Her mind merely wondered if Grumpy and Blade had made back alive.

The moment she opened the door her question was answered for her.

Blade was seated at her piano, playing Moonlight Sonata with Chuckles and Happy standing in the kitchen with grim looks on their faces.

"What happened?" Monica asked, trying to figure out why they looked so pale.

"You weren't here when we got back," Happy answered, a traumatized look on his face. Monica looked to Chuckles for answers but found him looking down at the blood splattered floor with a grim expression on his face.

"He's gone through three goons already," Chuckles whispered, bitterness in his tone as he looked up at Monica. The color drained from her face when she realized what he was telling her.

"Oh god, where's Grumpy?" she asked, horrified when she didn't see the goon anywhere. A snort left Happy's lips before he shook his head and started to cry silently. Monica backed away from him in panic and turned to look at Blade who continued to ignore her and played louder.

She realized what he was doing in a matter of seconds. Rushing over to him, she stopped his hands from playing another note and listened. Sure enough she heard muffled coughing and a bone cracking from one of the rooms.

Her body lunged forward and forced open the door before she paused at the sight in front of her. Grumpy lay in a puddle of his own blood while the clown loomed over him with a crimson stained knife in his grasp.

Relief filled her when she saw Grumpy reach out for her with difficulty from his position on the ground. It was quickly replaced with fear when she saw the Joker crouch beside him and place his blade over the goon's neck.

Monica scanned the room and saw several bodies piled up one on top of the other in the corner. All of them with their bodies mutilated and their necks slashed open.

"Stop it!" she yelled, rushing forward.

The clown's eyes shot up to look at her when her voice snapped him out of his rage induced killing spree. He barely had time to register her dragging Grumpy's body away from him. Her hate filled eyes stared up at him as he rose up to his full height and tilted his head down at her.

"Where were you, doll?" he asked, nonchalantly as if nothing was wrong and they weren't in a room with dead bodies all around.

Monicacontinued to look at him with disgust, the blood that had splattered across his face from his goons made her sick. She tensed when she saw him take a step forward.

"Get away," she snarled, holding on to Grumpy for dear life. She feared that if she let him go the clown would swoop down and finish what he had started. She could feel the goon's chest rise up and down slowly, his breathing ragged; it pained her to watch him.

"So tense," the clown commented, clicking his tongue at her as she followed him with her eyes. It was only when he stood behind her that she lost her ability to know what he was up to.

She hissed when she felt him slice open her shoulder and upper back with one swift flick of his wrist. Warm blood oozed down her back as she held on to Grumpy and refused to let him go despite the pain that she was feeling. She knew that that was what he was waiting for; she wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her defeated.

Her blood boiled when she heard his laughter from behind, how she wanted to turn around, take his knife, and plunge it into his chest until his infernal laughter ceased.

She was back wasn't she?

What else did he want?

For her to get down on her knees and beg forgiveness?

She would rather slit her wrists than beg forgiveness form him.

"I'll kill you both next time, beautiful," he warned her, turning away and heading towards the door. Monica shook with rage and pain; she wished he would just drop dead. Maybe she could even get Bane to do the job for her.

The moment he left the room Chuckles and Happy rushed into see what had happened. They pulled Grumpy away and started to treat all of the cuts and broken bones. In the state that the clown had left him, it would be a miracle if he made it through the night.

"Let me clean that," Blade commented, seeing the large gash on Monica's shoulder as she stumbled over to the bathroom. She closed her eyes in an attempt to get her head together and allowed Blade to disinfect and sew up the cut for her.

"I hate him," Monica cried, the pain from the sewing and nearly losing Grumpy overwhelming her. The Joker had already killed three of his men during her absence, what if she had gotten there a minute later?

She shuddered; she didn't even want to think about it.

Blade looked at her through the mirror; she seemed more pale than usual.

"I hate him," she repeated, her voice a barely audible whisper. It was only when she was about to collapse that he realized that she had lost more blood than he had given her credit for.

He caught her and laid her down on the living room couch. She would recover, she just needed time.

"You could have killed her, boss," Blade commented grimly, adverting his gaze when the clown prince of crime turned to look at him sharply.

The seriousness in the clown's response troubled Blade, it was uncharacteristic of him. He wondered what was going through the clown's mind, even as he cleaned his knife of her blood and spoke he didn't bother in looking at Blade.

"If only it were that easy."

**Can we keep up the number of reviews? Come on I want to see familiar as well as new faces! So review, make me the happiest writer on the planet and review! :D**


	48. Breaking Down

**Breaking Down **

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I havent been feeling too good lately and this chapter is basically inspired by it. It's not my best or my longest but I felt like I owed it to those who have been reading and reviewing. Bare with me my dears, it will get better, I promise. With that said, read on and enjoy. **

"Gotham's gone to hell," Grumpy mumbled, curling up deeper into the mass of sheets on the couch where he sat at. Monica's eyes drifted over to him in worry before she got up and checked his temperature.

He offered her a weak smile as she did this before shivering and covering himself up more. Monica's brow furrowed when she noticed that his fever wasn't going down. Ever since she had managed to save him from the clown it had been touch and go with him.

"Gotham went to hell the moment Bane crossed paths with the boss," Blade added bitterly, checking the windows for the fifth time that night. They couldn't afford to be caught off guard at the moment.

Monica checked the damp rag that she had put over Grumpy's forehead and noticed that it had to be dipped in cold water again. She took it carefully from him and glanced at Happy who in turn nodded and moved forward to take care of Grumpy.

Rising from the couch, she made her way over to the kitchen while her free hand massaged the bottom of her back. Her muscles had been bothering her for quite some time now and she could already feel a headache coming on.

The moment she entered the small room, however, she knew that her night would only get worse.

"What's with this silent treatment, doll?" the Joker asked, leaning on the counter next to the sink. Monica proceeded to dampening the cloth once more without uttering a single word to the man next to her.

The cut he had made on her shoulder hadn't even begun to heal. Even as she moved to rinse out the water from the cloth she could feel a searing pain shoot down her back from it. She wasn't about to smile and pretend it hadn't happened, she wasn't Harley.

Turning away from him with a sneer on her face, she headed towards the door before his hand wrapped around her arm and spun her around. More pain raced up and down her body when he seized her shoulder and pulled her over to him.

She could feel tears pooling over her eyes as he increased the pressure. He knew what he was doing; he hadn't forgotten the cut either.

Monica stood her ground and glared at him, there was no way to describe the hate that she felt for him then and there. She could feel her blood boil at the mere touch of his gloved hand and her teeth grit warningly when he tried to pull her closer.

The clown's eyes gleamed back with amusement at the sheer pain that he could see in her expression. His tongue ran over his bottom lip as she struggled to get out of his grip. He shushed her and tried to get a look at the gash that he had made by pushing the fabric of her shirt aside with his thumb.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed, backing away from him and turning sharply. She wiped away the tears that streamed down her face before entering the living room once more and resuming her seat beside Grumpy.

The goon before her was just another reason to hate the clown that she had just left in the kitchen. She couldn't understand why she had allowed herself to spend a night with him. It would probably haunt her and follow her until the day she died. How she wished she could take back that night, to rewind all of her actions or delete them.

The Joker merely watched as she placed the cloth over his goon's forehead. Grumpy could barely register the cool rag that she had just set down onto his skin. He could, however, feel her hand as she cupped his cheek with worry written all over her face. He moved his head and rested it in her hand before sleep started to overpower him once more.

A sudden knock at the door, however, startled all of them. Blade immediately ducked behind the couch and pulled out a machine gun while Happy and Chuckles both dove towards the bag of grenades and rifles. The Joker merely clicked his tongue in annoyance and stared expectantly at Happy.

"You better open that fast before he blows it down," Monica commented, completely calm as Happy glanced at her in confusion while reaching for the doorknob. Before he could even open it, the hinges creaked and the door fell in as someone from outside kicked it in. Happy stepped away after it nearly crushed him and stared in shock at the man that stood in front of him.

"For your sake, she better be unharmed," the man growled at him, reaching for his jacket and pulling him closer. Happy stared at the man's grey eyes in complete horror as he noticed the gang of men that stood behind him. All of them had some sort of chain, crowbar, or gun in hand.

"Beelzebub, I'm fine, put him down," Monica ordered, seeing happy shake when he realized how easily the man could break his neck if he wanted to.

The Joker's eyes never left the man at the entrance as he crossed the threshold and straightened his jacket. The rest of the men behind him followed suit and filled out the small living room in a matter of seconds.

"Things are getting worse, Bane took five of us down last night," Beelzebub informed Monica, looking around at the goons that had surrounded her in an attempt to shield her. It made him chuckle, if he wanted to he could take her without a fight.

"It alright, they're my men," Monica whispered, trying to ease the already tense goons that surrounded her with all of their guns and ammunition. The Joker remained in the shadows watching everything play out in front of him.

He eyed the infamous Bastards, he hadn't had the pleasure of running into them yet. He was pleasantly surprised, they were a large group.

"Where is he?" Berial asked, sweeping the room with a calculative gaze. Monica's eyes narrowed when she heard this. She knew that when they insisted on coming to her apartment for the meeting there was no way she would be able to hide the Joker.

"Who?" she asked, hoping that he had been referring to someone else.

"The clown," Gabriel snapped, sneering the words before a chilling laugh made all of them freeze.

"I've been here the whole time, silly," the Joker giggled, cocking his gun while he pressed it up against Gabriel's head. Half of the men in the room drew their guns and pointed them at him while his goons pointed them at the bikers.

"Sneaky bastard, aren't you?" Beelzebub asked, turning his head to look at the clown next to him. He had to give it to the man; he knew how to make an entrance.

"Enough, already," Monica snapped, making her men lower their guns. The goons in the room followed suit when she turned to look at them warningly. The Joker on the other hand didn't lower his.

"Joker, enough," she murmured, hating the fact that she had to converse with the man. She didn't want to have to clean up Gabriel's blood, however, so she had no choice.

The clown turned to look at her and squeezed the trigger a little bit more before removing his gun and blowing air into Gabriel's ear. The biker cringed away from the clown when he did this and made a move to hit him before Monica stopped him once more.

"We're not done, beautiful," the Joker warned her, waving his gun at her as he headed towards the door. In an instant, the majority of his goons were by his side and out the door.

Happy, Chuckles, and Blade, however, knew that they had to stay behind not only to watch her but to take care of Grumpy. They had been doing it in shifts, they didn't want to leave and place all of the burden on Monica.

"Quite a character, isn't he?" Beelzebub commented, staring at the fading purple dot down the hall. Monica rolled her eyes and stretched out on the couch.

"You have no idea," she replied, she had no idea how she even managed to live with him half of the time.

"If it wasn't for the protection that he provides I would have you living somewhere else," Gabriel commented, running a hand through his hair where the gun had been pressed. He couldn't understand why she lived with the madman; he wasn't going to ask either though. By the scowl that she had on her face he could tell she wasn't in the mood.

"We're just here for orders, we'll leave as soon as you give the word," Berial added, noticing the way she held her head with one hand. He had known her long enough to know that she was going to get a headache soon if things around he didn't settle down.

"No one crosses paths with Bane, I want us to lay low for a while," Monica told them, her voice growing weak as she held her head once more. Beelzebub's eyes narrowed at this, he could only pray that it didn't get worse. She had been hospitalized for a month once due to all of the stress that the gang had brought on her.

"I don't want to risk anyone's life," she continued, wincing at the pain that was going through her head.

"Darling, are you gonna be-" Gabriel started before Monica cut him off.

"I'm fine," she snapped, closing her eyes while trying to get herself together.

"We'll lay low," Beelzebub commented before Berial could add anything else. He could tell that they were just making the situation worse. She needed a quiet and dark place right now, not to be surrounded by her men with the light from the hallway streaming in through the broken door.

"Now go," Monica dismissed them, waving her hand at them. Berial nodded and turned while the rest of the bikers made their way towards the door.

"Anything happens to her, I'm coming for you," Gabriel growled, grabbing Happy's collar and shaking him. The goon nodded and turned his head to look at the woman next to him, she seemed paler to him suddenly.

"Get her this, it'll help with the headaches," Beelzebub requested, handing a folded piece of paper to Blade. The goon took it from his hand and nodded in understanding. "I'll be back to check on her tomorrow, keep the clown away from her."

Blade nodded once more as the biker straightened up and headed towards the door as well. After a few minutes of struggling, Gabriel managed to fix it and place the hinges back where they belonged. He glanced at Monica with worry before he turned and closed the door behind her.

"Are you ok, darling?" Chuckles asked, turning to look at her now that everyone was gone. He could feel her shiver as she rested her head against his shoulder. Her eyes were clenched shut, even the light bothered her.

"Looks like we got another one to take care of," Blade commented, rising from the couch, "help me carry her to her room."

Happy nodded and proceeded in helping the other goon as they managed to get her onto her bed. Monica turned away from them and held on to her comforter for dear life. The headaches were getting worse, she felt as if her head were splitting in two.

But why was this happening to her now?

"This is bad, she looks like a corpse," Chuckles pointed out. His brow furrowed as they watched her thrash from side to side.

"I think Grumpy is going to be the least of our troubles, compared to her he's in heaven," Blade added, making the goons beside him even more nervous. How were they supposed to cure her when they didn't even know what was wrong with her?

They didn't know a doctor and the hospitals in Gotham were abandoned by now.

"We'll just have to do our best with what we have…and try to keep the boss away," Happy realized, while Blade nodded next to him and turned towards the door.

"I'm making a run for these pills, try to keep her comfortable."

All Happy and Chuckles could do was nod as they watched Blade leave.

Things were just getting worse.

**Review!**


	49. Dear Old Friend

**Dear Old Friend**

**A/N: I'm back with another chapter my dears! I wont say much so you can get to readying it, enjoy! **

"Wake up, doll," the clown's voice whispered in her ear. Monica groaned and turned away from him. Her head was pounding, the last thing she wanted was to see him or hear his voice.

"Go away, Joker," she slurred, cracking open one eye to look at the electronic clock on the nightstand beside her. It read 3:10 AM, the man was mad if he thought she would get up.

"We need to move, get up," he insisted, jabbing her side with his hand. Monica jumped when she felt his hand dig into her ribs. A soft chuckle left her lips when she realized that she had accidentally elbowed the clown in the face.

"Serves you right, now let me sleep," she snapped, fixing the comforter and enjoying the warmth of the bed. She had barely started to get better after a week of bed rest.

"You asked for it, darling," he mumbled, tearing away the covers harshly. Monica's eyes shot over to his imposing figure beside the bed moments before his arms wrapped around her small frame and picked her up off the bed.

"Bastard!" Monica shrieked, kicking and punching to no avail. He let her go once she was away from the bed and tossed her a pair or leather pants and her jacket. She did the only thing she could do and continued to glare at him from her position on the ground.

"Get dressed, doll," he ordered, walking towards the door. Monica's chest heaved and her nostrils flared, she could feel her blood boil. She was tired of taking orders, tired of being tossed like a rag doll, and most of all she was tired of the clown who seemed to want to control everything in her life.

"I'm not getting dressed!" she yelled, throwing one of her boots after him. She felt better after she saw it hit his back. She managed to pick herself up while using the footrest of the bed.

"Are you sure about that-ah?" the Joker replied, turning to look at her while clicking his tongue. Monica's eyes narrowed when he said this, it was as if he had some sort of leverage over her, she didn't remember giving him an advantage.

"Very," she snapped, refusing to back down. Their confrontation had been building up for the past week; she knew she would have to lock horns with him sooner or later. It was now or never and she wasn't planning on losing, not to him.

"Then I won't tell you about the Bat," the clown replied, his eyes dancing with amusement. Monica shivered as she watched his lips stretch upwards into a Cheshire grin.

"What about the Bat?" she asked, trying to sound uninterested. She had been trying to find out what had happened to Bruce since they had gotten back. The thing that bothered her the most was the fact that she hadn't heard from him or Alfred in a while. Rumors were starting to surface throughout Gotham but she refused to believe any of them.

"I can't tell you because you're not behaving," the Joker replied, tilting his head. Monica shivered once more as he did this, she could hear the bones in his neck crack, did he ever sleep or rest?

Monica sighed heavily and walked over to her discarded clothes and picked them up. As much as she hated giving in she wanted to find out more about Bruce's whereabouts. She would have to put her loathing for the clown on hold.

When she crouched to retrieve her boot, however, she felt the clown's hand slide through her hair and grip it viciously. He tugged her head upwards and smiled sweetly down at her.

"Say no to me again and I'll carve that pretty little face of yours," he warned her, his eyes dark as she felt all of her rage rise up again. She was tired of him, tired of everything. If she was going to die she was going to go down fighting.

Turning her head she bit down on the clown's wrist monstrously. She could hear him hiss and try to pull away but she refused to let go. Moments later, the familiar taste of his blood filled her mouth, she had pierced his skin.

"You've been dying to do that haven't you?" he groaned, trying to shake his wrist free. Monica bit down harder as he pulled her up; she was enjoying herself too much to let in end so soon.

"Knock yourself out, beautiful, bite harder," he chuckled, enjoying himself more than he would have liked. Monica immediately let go and stepped back while wiping his blood away from her mouth and spitting it out on the wooden floor.

The clown's eyes remained on her the entire time; the red tint that his blood provided drew him in without fail. The fact that he was still bleeding because of her and she wasn't cowering in fear pleased him to a point where he found himself questioning the little sanity that he had left.

"Come on, that all you got?" he teased, knowing that she had been wanting to get back at him for Grumpy and the cut on her shoulder, "Hit me."

Monica didn't hesitate to take him up on the offer. She pulled her hand back and aimed it at his cheek. A rush of adrenaline shot up her spine when she felt it connect with his face. His head snapped to the side and moments later a cackle left his lips.

"That was a disappointment, come on, hit me harder!" he laughed, fueling her fire. Monica growled and pulled her hand back again before swinging at the same spot. A genuine smile appeared on her lips when she saw his split lip; the blood that ran down his chin comforted her. She was finally getting even for everything he had put her through.

"Harder," he encouraged, smiling at her through bloodied teeth. Monica resisted the urge to merely stab the clown, she wanted him to feel the pain that he had put her though, she wanted him to suffer.

The moment her hand neared his face once more, however, he caught her fist and twisted her arm behind her back. Monica grunted as he turned her around and rammed her up against the nearest wall.

"The fight in you never left," he whispered in her ear, sending shivers of disgust down her back. She struggled against him but found it impossible to get out of his iron grip.

"You didn't allow it to leave," she snapped, by doing everything he had done to her he had merely made her hate him more. Having him this close was familiar to her by now, but not comfortable. She pushed back against him hoping to shake him off with no success.

The clown on the other hand merely enjoyed the control that he had at the moment. He had missed having her pressed up against him, the smell of her blood and his intoxicated him and made him want more. She had become his drug, the one thing that calmed him to an extent. He couldn't explain why he needed her so or why he hadn't killed her, the reason was locked away in his insane mind.

Monica merely glanced back to look at the clown, she knew what was going through his mind, similar thoughts raced through hers. She hated herself for admitting it but she had come to miss the familiar smell of gunpowder and gasoline that he carried. Despite being Gotham's most dangerous criminal she felt safest whenever she was beside him.

"Let me go," she murmured, exhausted from her brief outburst. She had gotten what she wanted; a couple of punches to his face had calmed her down for the time being.

Not knowing why, he obeyed and released her arm. She rolled her shoulder to get a feel back into it and turned around to look at him. He seemed more exhausted than before, she could only wonder why. Throughout the time she had been sick he had been in and out of the apartment, restless, as if he couldn't find what he was looking for.

"You need some rest," she ordered, noticing the way his shoulders dropped. The Joker didn't even bother in looking at her, there was no way he could rest, things needed to be done. Things that only he knew how to do, he couldn't trust his goons with those errands, not even Blade. He couldn't do it alone; however, he needed one more person. Harley was out of the question, she was far too loud, she would blow his cover in an instant.

"Get dressed, we're going out," he insisted, wiping away the blood from her lips with his gloved thumb. Monica watched as he stepped away and headed out the door. Whatever it was, it was bothering him to the point where he had stopped sleeping and eating.

She glanced at her discarded clothes and changed out of her sweats and V-neck shirt. Doing a run with the clown in the middle of the night hadn't been on her agenda, especially after she had held a grudge over the gash on her shoulder. She'd get back at him for that one day.

The moment she stepped out into the living room, however, she saw the extent of how unlike himself the clown was being. His goons were all crowded around the fireplace completely passed out in a small heap of pillows and comforters that she had given them the day before.

"We're not taking any of them?" Monica asked, walking over to the front door where the clown was waiting for her impatiently.

"No," he replied, opening the door and stepping out quietly while she followed. Once in the hall he placed his favorite blade in the palm of her hand and gave her a Beretta before pushing her in front of him.

"You're driving," he ordered, tossing her the keys as they headed out into the parking lot. He was quiet the whole way only speaking when he told her to turn or drive faster.

"Iceberg Lounge, huh?" Monica read as they parked a few blocks down from their destination. She got out of the Escalade and started to walk towards the building moments before the clown pulled her back into an alley.

"Are you trying to get us killed, beautiful?" he snarled, poking his head out of the alley to see if their cover had been blown. After making sure that none of the Penguin's men had seen them he ushered her further into the alley and towards a nearby sewage manhole.

"You're joking, right?" she commented, scrunching up her nose.

"I can do this by myself, I don't need you," he snapped as she rolled her eyes and motioned for him to continue with his plan. She followed him down the rusty ladder and paused once they were down in the tunnels. The odor wasn't as bad as she initially thought it would be.

She followed behind him quiet as ever until she felt something scamper in front of her feet.

"Shh," the clown hissed, turning around sensing her distress. He put his hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop her from screaming as she saw the large rat at her feet. Before she could even blink he had placed the tip of his shoe over the rodent's neck and somehow managed to snap it. He kicked it to the side and made sure she was calmed down before he dropped his hand.

Monica stayed close to the clown as they neared the lounge and made their way through a small tunnel leading into the basement.

"What are we here for?" Monica asked, hiding beside him near some crates as one of the Penguin's goons passed by with an AK-47 over his shoulder. Monica watched as the clown crept up behind him and slit his neck before checking the body for what she could only guess was keys.

"Explosives, doll, lots of em'," he replied, smiling when he found what he was looking for. Monica nodded in understanding and watched as the Joker looked around for yet another way out of the basement without getting caught.

A nearby air vent caught his eye, taking out his knife he made quick work of the screws that held it in place and took the grate down before glancing back at Monica.

Without saying a single word she used his hands as a stepping stool and pulled herself into the air vent before turning around and pulling him up behind her.

"It should be around here somewhere if I remember correctly," he commented as he followed behind her and tried to get his bearings right.

"Are we lost?" she snapped, hoping that he was joking when he said his memory was foggy. He was about to reply when he heard a familiar voice that made him tense up and freeze altogether.

He was supposed to be dead…

Monica shifted her attention onto the small slits in the grate and tried to get a look at the criminal below. What made him cause the clown to sit still?

"I want the clown dead," the man hissed, a clinging noise reaching their ears as Monica tried to get a better look at him. She could make out his suit, white and impeccable, underneath the dim lighting.

"That can be arranged, for the right price," Penguin's voice replied as Monica watched him twirl the umbrella in his hand.

"I want him to suffer like I suffered," the criminal growled, the clinging voice returning once more. Monica could have sworn she had heard that gravelly voice before. She just couldn't place who it belonged to.

"He's got a girl, you can start there, pay him back for what he did to your lady," Penguin suggested, drinking something out of a champagne glass. Monica continued to watch as the man turned around and paced the room. Her breath got stuck in her throat when she saw that his suit changed halfway through. The other side was charred black, as if it had been in a fire.

"Harley, right?" the criminal replied, knowing the blond that followed after the Joker like a lost puppy.

"No, he's got another, pretty little brunette," the Penguin added, "guards her like a watch dog."

"Interesting," the criminal added, turning once more and stepping into the light. Monica gasped when she saw his face.

The man turned his head upwards and pulled out his gun and gripped the trigger moments before he pulled it. The Joker had little to no time to react and throw himself forward in an attempt to cover Monica's mouth and prevent her screaming out in pain. The bullet had gone straight through her leg, if she blew their cover now they would both end up dead.

"I thought I heard something," the man commented, holding his gun beside his head, waiting to hear anything unusual.

"Bollocks, your hearing things, we've got a lot to discuss," Penguin commented, handing him a glass of what the Joker could only guess was wine. He remained by Monica's side until the pair of men left the room; even then he refused to let her cry out in pain.

"We get the explosives and we get out, simple as that, got it?" he informed her, wanting to leave after what he had seen in the room below. This changed everything, made it more difficult and more dangerous for both of them.

All Monica could do was nod as he dropped his hand and allowed her to lead once more. They didn't have to go far, a few minutes later they were hovering above the small suitcase with the explosives inside. All they had to do was reach down and grab it.

"I'll lower you down," the clown whispered, opening the crate as Monica glanced at him with fear and doubt in her eyes, she didn't want to go down and have her brains blown out. She had had enough for one night.

Before she knew what she was doing she was already hanging upside down with the clown holding on to her ankles as her only support. She reached for the silver suitcase and held it close to her chest before looking up at him and nodding. After a few seconds of struggling the clown pulled her up and replaced the grate.

He led the way back to the basement and allowed her to go first. Monica noticed the way that he kept glancing back as if he was expecting something to come out and grab him from the shadows.

By the time that they made it back to the Escalade the alarm had been raised and Penguin's goons rushed out of the lounge to look for the thieves. Monica merely managed to throw herself into the passenger's seat while the clown drove away discreetly.

She used his arm as support as they walked down the hallway towards the apartment, what had originally started as an easy errand ended up backfiring and turning into a bloody theft operation.

The goons were all still sound asleep as she limped over to her room and closed the door behind her. The clown, however, placed his hand on the doorway and prevented it from closing as he stepped in after her.

He grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at her as she headed into the bathroom before he followed after her. He rose her up to the sink and examined the wound carefully.

"I have to take the bullet out," he told her, a smile stretching across his lips.

"I bet your going to enjoy this," Monica snapped, hugging the pillow realizing what it was for. She watched as he reached for some pliers from one of the drawers and buried her face in the pillow as he reached down to retrieve the bullet.

A scream tore through her throat when he dug the pliers in and searched for the bullet for a few seconds before he found it and pulled it out sharply. She heard him chuckle as blood oozed out of her leg and onto the white tile of the bathroom.

"That wasn't too bad, now was it?" he asked after he had finished wrapping it up while making sure that she was in as much pain as possible. Monica glared up at him and started to make her way out of the bathroom before he pulled her back to him.

"Who was he?" Monica asked, wanting answers as the clown's smile dropped slightly.

"A dear old friend, beautiful," he replied, thrilled with the fact that he had obtained what he had been searching for for over a month. The Penguin had been guarding the explosives day and night, they were all he needed to blow down the gates at Blackgate and throw Gotham into complete chaos.

"What about Batman?" she asked, having fulfilled her part of the bargain.

"I'll tell you in the morning, doll," he laughed, too tired to explain the dark knight's downfall at four in the morning. Monica merely rolled her eyes at him, she should have expected this, of course he wasn't going to tell her anything.

"If that's all you're going to tell me, move out of my way," she snapped, wanting to get some rest as the clown refused to budge.

"Make me," he replied, grinning from ear to ear, wishing to annoy her now that she was exhausted.

"Oh, I'll make you, alright," she growled, reaching down and grabbing his crotch. A small groan left his lips as she pressed him up against the open door and increased the pressure.

"You still sure you don't want to move?" she questioned, refusing to ease up on him despite the fact that he had stopped breathing. Had it been anyone else, even Harley, he wouldn't have hesitated in cutting off their hand. With her, however, he was writhing in pleasure.

"No," he choked. Monica smiled before she used her nails and dug them in harder. She heard him groan even louder and felt his body go limp against hers, she loved the fact that she could control him so easily.

"That's for the gash on my shoulder and this is for getting me shot tonight," she whispered in his ear, increasing the pressure to the point where she had him holding on to her in order to keep himself up. A long drawn out moan left his lips the moment she shifted against him. She could feel his hands bruise her hips with the pressure that he was using to keep himself up.

"I'll make a note to have you get shot more often, darling," he groaned, making her finally release him. He slumped forward and crashed his lips us against hers for a long and messy kiss. Monica's hands slipped underneath his shirt and vest before she dragged her nails across his bare skin.

He needed this now more than ever, he needed her, his drug. He pressed her up against the sink and watched as her head connected with the mirror causing it to shatter into tiny silver shards.

"Just one night," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist as he carried her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Monica couldn't help but smile against his makeup smeared lips.

"That's what we keep telling ourselves."

**Who's back from the dead? We all know this by now, don't we? Don't forget to review! **


	50. Kill or Be Killed

**Kill or Be Killed**

**A/N: It's taken me a while but my computer broke down (again) and I am currently writting this from my Ipad, hence it took longer XD Hope you like it, and enjoy!**

The droning sound of the shower in the background startled Monica and woke her from her sleep. She cracked open one eye and lazily picked up her head to look at the partially closed door.

She dropped her head and turned away from the light streaming into the dark room through the bottom of the door. Moments later she heard some shattering glass and a chuckle that could have only belonged to the clown prince of crime.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed and attempted to sit up on the bed. Her tired hands rubbed her eyes briefly before the light switch from the bathroom was clicked off and the door opened.

Monica didn't even ask him what he had broken this time. Her eyes merely followed him wearily as he walked over to her. A smile crept up her lips when she noticed how gingerly he was putting on the glove for his right hand. The white bandages that were wrapped around his wrist made her chuckle softly.

She watched as he twirled his hand and sneered while his blood bled through the white bandages.

"You can't move it around too much or it'll keep opening up," Monica scolded, wrapping the black silk sheets across her chest.

"Fix me, then," he ordered, a masochistic smile on his face, as he stretched out his bleeding arm. Monica stared at him briefly wondering what his intention was before she reached for his hand. Carefully cradling it with her own, she looked towards the nightstand for extra gauze and disinfectant.

Upon finding none, she stood while holding the sheets to her body up with one hand.

Rolling her eyes she sighed and headed towards the bathroom with the clown's eyes burning into her back. She opened the cabinet behind the shattered mirror and searched for the materials with irritation apparent in her eyes.

"I used them all up," the Joker commented from behind her. Monica turned her head to glare at him and slammed the cabinet door shut.

A sigh left her lips when she felt his gloved hands settle on her waist. She winced when she remembered the dark purple bruises that he had made the night before. When he pulled her back against his chest she squirmed against him before settling down when he grabbed a shard of the shattered mirror pieces.

Her breath hitched when he used the sharp end to cut away at the black sheets wrapped around her body. She shivered when he dragged the shard down between her breasts. All the while he kept his gaze on her through the shattered mirror.

She made a startled gasp when she felt the shard touch her skin. Her arms flew up to cover her exposed body when the sheets slipped off and pooled at the ground in tattered pieces.

"Don't bother, beautiful," the Joker chuckled, watching her as she reached for his bloodied shirt on the ground, "I've memorized every curve, bruise, and scar on your body."

Monica's eyes burned into his own as she used his shirt to cover her naked body. The bloodstains on the sleeves did little to ease her mind. She merely wrapped it around her small frame and stared at him expectantly.

"If you knew that there weren't any supplies why didn't you tell me?" Monica asked, crossing her arms in irritation.

The clown pinched her cheeks and leaned forward.

"Because I thrive on watching you struggle, doll," he replied shaking her head as if she were a child.

Monica clenched her jaw and tried to shake free.

"Don't make me even out your other wrist, clown," Monica hissed, her eyes on the clown's hand.

"Get dressed, we have some more stealing to do, beautiful," the Joker ordered, releasing her. Monica scoffed in disbelief, she had a day old gunshot wound and he wanted to go out again?

The man was mad.

She wasn't about to go out and risk her life again for something trivial.

He was in a good mood, however, and she didn't want him to go dark on her again. That was the only time when she genuinely felt that her life was in danger whenever she was around him.

Then again, her life always hung by a thin thread whenever it came to the clown. She knew that he only need to get bored of her in order to kill her.

"Fine, but don't forget," she started, her hand trailing up his shoulder before she gripped it with an innocent smile, "I have a good memory as well."

The clown hissed remembering that she had bitten down on it the previous night. The pain that shot down his spine sent a spark of pleasure through his body and made him feel alive.

"Darling, you're the greatest," he chucked, picking her up and placing his hands underneath her bottom to hold her up. Monica had little to no time to wrap her arms around his neck in order to stop herself from falling backwards while her legs locked around his waist.

The clown hummed in content at the feeling of her body against his own. Her scent, gasoline from her motorcycle and apple from the shampoo that she used, filled his senses. She was intoxicating to him, he could never have enough.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled more of her scent with a pleasured growl. Monica purred in content hen the familiar feel of his scarred smile brushed up against her jaw.

She had to admit, it felt good.

It felt so good.

Having Gotham's clown prince of crime so close certainly had its advantages. No one in their right mind would cross the Joker and they had started to fear her as well. The fear that shown in their eyes whenever they saw her made a smile stretch across her lips,

"Boss, we gotta go," Happy's muffled voice called through the door. The Joker paused and turned his head to look at the door.

"What are we stealing this time?" Monica asked, brushing her cheek up against his own before her lips ghosted over his scars.

The clown's mind temporarily shut down when he felt her lips kissing his scars. The feeling was foreign to him; he'd never allowed anyone to touch his trademark smile.

Not even Harley had the nerve to attempt such an act.

"Just get dressed, doll," he replied, hesitantly letting her go. The friction that he had enjoyed moments ago disappearing when he set her down on firm ground.

He watched as she turned around and picked up her scattered pieces of clothing. She tilted her head to look at him when she noticed that he hadn't left the room. Sighing she slipped on her leather pants and let his shirt roll off of her back.

The clown stared at her bare back with a blank expression on his face. The scar that curved down from the center of her chest to her mid back caught his eye. The fact that he hadn't been the one to make it made his blood boil.

A sudden realization seemed to hit him then and there with her back still facing him. She trusted him, she actually put faith into the fact that he wouldn't pull out one of his knives and stab her.

That didn't sit well with him.

He was allowing her to get close, too close.

'You're gonna have to kill her,' his mind chuckled as images of him cutting her throat open flashed through his thoughts. He could practically feel her warm blood running down his hand and staining his clothes, he could hear her desperate sobs as she clung on to whatever life she had left.

"Joker?" Monica questioned, waving her hand in front of the clown's face. His eyes came back into focus as he turned to look at her.

But how could he kill her when she was the only reason he still had most of his goons? If it weren't for her he would have killed all of them a long time ago. She was the only thing that kept him in check much like the pills and syringes filled with sedatives that they had tried to get into his system back at Arkham.

She was his drug, his pill, his sedative.

He didn't need anything else.

"Boss?" another goon called through the door. The Joker didn't recognize the tone; it was probably a new recruit. Without saying a word and before she could stop him he pulled out his gun and took a shot through the door.

The dull thud of a body hitting the floor alerted him that he had aimed correctly. Monica glared at I'm accusingly, then again she was glad that the bullet hadn't gone through her. Panicked whispers soon reached their ears as the remaining goons took care of the body.

"Get the keys to your motorcycle," the Joker ordered, turning away from her, opening the door, and stepping over the goon's dead body with indifference. Monica followed him with her eyes, a look of disbelief on her face as she looked at the goon near the doorway. She had a feeling that the goon had taken that particular bullet for her.

She wasn't safe around the clown, she knew that. Even as she wiped his makeup from her face and neck as best as she could she knew he was using her just like she was using him.

Grumpy handed her a small machine gun as she passed by and picked up her keys. She slipped the gun into a pocket on the inside of her jacket and followed after the clown.

The hallway was empty and void of life, the only sound that could be heard were the steps of the goons that walked behind her.

She handed the keys to her bike over to Blade, she didn't feel like driving and she knew for a fact that he knew his way around a motorcycle.

"You're driving, beautiful," the clown cackled, throwing the keys to the Escalade over to her. Monica caught them with a bitter look on her face; he somehow always found a way to make her miserable. Instead of protesting, she merely opened the door to the driver's seat and sat down with a sigh. The clown got in next to her with Chuckles and Happy in the back.

She could hear the roar of her bike as Blade revved it up moments before she turned on the large van. With Happy giving her directions she drove through the deserted streets of Gotham.

Her tired eyes could barely register the Ford Lobo that was pulling up beside them with hired guns in the back.

The Joker glanced sideways at them for a few seconds, his eyes showing how unimpressed he was. He could make out three men, two with machine guns the third with a rocket launcher.

"Babe you might wanna try stepping in it," Happy commented nervously, watching as the henchman rose the rocket launcher and rested it on his shoulder ready to fire.

Monica glanced back through the mirror and noticed that Blade was no longer following them; he probably had to take care of something else. She then turned her attention onto the vehicle beside them and pondered her options.

The clown remained uncharacteristically silent beside her.

"Pull over, our boss wants us to bring you back alive not as corpses!" The drover shouted, catching Monica's attention. She could make out a tattoo of his neck, she hadn't seen it before. It was the comedy and tragedy faces merged into one, one side black the other white.

She could see the henchman with the rocket launcher awaiting orders. If she didn't do something fast he would blow them sky high.

Before anyone could do or say anything else she rammed the Escalade into the Lobo with force. She grinned when she noticed that two of the three men in the back of the pickup had fallen off.

"Drive them off of the road," the Joker ordered calmly, twirling the knife in his hand as they approached a bridge leading into the heart of the city.

Monica didn't hesitate and rammed into the pick up again, harsher than before. Without wasting another moment she pulled away and slammed into them again, hearing the metal of the truck scrape against the railing of the bridge. She could see sparks out of the corner of her eye.

"Blow em' up!" the driver of the Lobo shouted trying to get some control back as the henchman with the rocket launcher nodded and readied himself.

"I didn't survive getting shot just to be blown up tonight," Monica growled turning the steering wheel animalistically. The clown felt a smile creeping up his lips when he saw this, he admired her brutality.

The tires on the pickup screeched moments before it flipped over the bridge.

Monica watched as Happy pulled the pin on a grenade and threw it after them moments before it went off and engulfed the pickup in flames.

By the time they reached their destination Monica had had enough for the night. She slammed down on the breaks and slumped back into the leather seat. She watched as Harley bounced happily out of an alley with two black gym bags over her shoulder. A sigh left Monica's lips when she heard the harlequin get into the van.

"Look at all the pretties, puddin'!" she exclaimed, unzipping one of the bags to reveal stacks of money amongst diamond necklaces, jewelry, and expensive looking fur. Monica sighed again in annoyance when she heard the other woman's voice.

"Put them back Harley," the Joker ordered, a cold edge to his tone. The harlequin's cheerful mood died instantly. She immediately put the jewels in her hand back into the bag and pouted as Monica turned on the van.

While driving, Monica noticed that they weren't heading back to the apartment; they were going deeper into the city. The longer she drove the eerier the streets became. She didn't question Happy; however, she merely did as she was told.

When they pulled up to a sewer entrance she glanced sideways at the clown in concern when she heard music blasting from within the circular tunnel.

"This is where Gotham's finest meet during the night," Grumpy explained as they all stepped out of the Escalade and headed towards the large grated door.

Monica kept glancing over her shoulder nervously while walking beside the clown.

The bouncer next to the door stepped aside as soon as he saw the Joker come into view; rumor had it he had killed the last bouncer for simply talking to him.

Monica's eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness of the tunnel; she could make out bright colored lights at the end a few feet up ahead. She could already see a large crowd of drug addicts dancing to the beat of the booming music. The stench of beer, marihuana, and gunpowder hung heavily in the air.

As soon as they stepped out into the crowd she stepped closer to the clown to avoid getting lost. She followed him as he led the way deeper and deeper into the underground club.

"Well, what'ya know, you came through with your word, clown," a gravelly voice commented, making the whole group halt.

They were in a darkened corner of the club, away from the crowd.

Monica turned to look at the source of the voice only to be pushed back and out of view into Grumpy's arms by the clown. She was about to protest but stopped when she saw the same man from before appear out of the darkness.

"When have I ever lied to you, Harvey?" The Joker replied, making sure that his frame blocked Monica out of view. All she could do was listen in on the conversation.

Harvey.

The name struck cord.

Where had she heard it before?

"Hand over the girl and you all walk out of here alive with Bane's whereabouts and the guns from his warehouse," Harvey growled, is patience running low. The clown turned to look at Happy who in turn nodded and reached for Harley. The harlequin squealed in horror when she realized that she was being handed over.

"There's your girl," the Joker replied, smiling as Happy shoved Harley forward. Harley's eyes widened when she crashed into Two-Face's arms. The ex-DA gripped the harlequin's hat and pulled it down to reveal a stream of straight blond hair.

"I've had enough of these games, clown," Two-Face snarled, shoving Harley back into his arms, "I want the one that your hiding behind you."

Monica felt her blood run cold when she heard this. What did she have to do with any of this?

"No," the Joker replied simply, clicking his tongue in annoyance, "she leaves with me."

"I grow tired of your schemes and loopholes," Two-Face replied, pulling out his revolver and aiming at the clown. Before anyone could even blink he pulled the trigger and sneered when he hit the clown on his chest.

The Joker felt panic flash through his eyes when he felt the bullet pierce the tissue and bone in his body. It was just like his dream, he was going to die.

He clutched at the wound and swayed in his place before going down on his knees. Two-Face approached him and pulled back the hammer in the revolver once more. The clown looked up at him and smiled through bloodied teeth.

This was it, his men were of no use to him now, the guards that the ex-DA had brought would gun them down before they even had a chance to aim their guns.

"Stop!" Monica cried, elbowing Grumpy in order to free herself from his hold. Two-Face turned to look at her and pulled back his gun briefly.

"Why should I?" He growled, his teeth gritting menacingly as the crowd that was around them started to distance themselves away from them.

Monica remained silent; no words left her mouth despite her desperation.

"You mean nothing to him," Two-Face added, taking a swing at the clown. The Joker's head snapped to the side before he fell face down onto the ground. Monica's breath caught in her throat when she saw him cough out blood.

"Stop..." She whispered, unable to stand the fact that the clown wasn't fighting back.

"Why should it matter if he lives or dies?" Two-Face asked, kicking the downed clown who in turn cringed and coughed out more blood.

Monica could feel tears pooling over her eyes as the clown continued to receive the beating of a lifetime. He wasn't moving or making a sound, not even a chuckle or a laugh.

"Please, stop," she choked, tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to get near him.

"Why waste your tears on him, don't tell me you love him?" Two-Face snarled, pulling out his gun once more and aiming it at her. Monica's eyes widened when she saw this, she then turned her attention onto the clown's unmoving body. He was still breathing and from what she could tell still conscious.

Two -Face then turned the gun onto the clown and pulled back the hammer.

Monica made a move towards the Joker once more only to be held back by Happy.

"Stop!" She yelled, her voice cracking as she struggled against the goon holding her back. "I love him! Don't kill him!" she begged, her nerves shot. If that was what he wanted to hear then she would say it, even if she didn't mean it.

Two-Face narrowed his eyes at this and stared at her for a few seconds. There was something familiar about her, at the moment; however, he couldn't afford to think of what it was.

"Good, now you'll know what it feels like to lose everything," Two-face replied, a sadistic smile tugging at the edge of his burned lips. He aimed the gun at the clown's head and pulled the trigger. Monica's breath halted as she watched a batarang hit the side of the gun and throw the aim off.

Moments later a smoke bomb went off between both groups while bullets whizzed by from both sides. A dark figure neared them seconds before she realized that it was Batman carrying the clown's body over his shoulder.

"Get out of here," he growled, handing the Joker over to Grumpy who grimaced at the crimson stain on the dark knight's shoulder.

Monica stared at him, frozen in place. How long had he been listening in on the conversation?

"Listen-" she started only to get cut off.

"I will find you later, go," Batman ordered, noticing the smoke was beginning to clear, the bullets were begging to zoom past them with more accuracy.

Monica turned away and followed after Grumpy who had blended in with the crowd in order to get away. It had been a month since she had seen Bruce; she had so many questions to ask him. At the moment, however, all she could do was turn and run.

By the time they made it out and into the car the clown was having difficulty breathing. Monica rested his head on her lap and yelled at Happy, ordering him to go faster.

Her shaking hands stroked his green hair nervously as she tried to keep him alive. She applied pressure on the wound and tried to make him as comfortable as she could.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Harley asked sobbing uncontrollably as the clown's arm dangled lifelessly over the seat. Monica tried to calm herself and block out Harley's concern filled voice.

"I don't know, Harley," Monica replied, "he might not make it, he's lost a lot of blood already and he has internal bleeding."

She could only pray that she was wrong.

Pray that he would survive.

That he wouldn't leave her alone in a city where more than half of its inhabitants wanted her dead.

And pray she did.

**What happened to all my reviewers? Review, or I shall kill the clown :D**


	51. Without You

**Without You **

**A/N: I'm back after a long case of writers block! Sorry for the wait my dears. Anyway I'll let you get to it, here are some side notes since I haven't done them in a while: **

** Patient 4779: Im glad you like the story so far! I must add that I love lengthy reviews and you just made my day with yours :D **

** BatFrEaK: Here's the update, hope you haven't lost your mind! ;D  
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**Andromeda Athena: Here's the update, hope you like it! **

** Smiele: My dear, you're going to kill me. ;D**

**CuteSango07: You'll start to see her true feelings for the clown from now on, you're on to something ;)**

** iluvville: Here's the new chappie, you better brush up on your ghetto talk cus' you're gonna need it :D**

** Batjaph: Hope you like the update! **

**ZenyZootSuit: I went with the latter, my dear.  
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** Amber: The lecture is yet to come, but thank you for your review! It makes my day when you guys read and review :D **

**TheCleverGirl: The story isnt over, trust me :D**

**Ragdoll88: Thank you, and we'll see where it goes, so many possibilities!  
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** SensitivelyNumb: Bruce will find out about their relationship shortly, don't worry! As far as choosing between the two...its difficult because as you said, they're polar opposites! Oh the horrors of having to choose between them D: **

**leyah: She does need him, as far as a happy ending...I dont think that's possible with our clown prince of crime ;)**

**shadowboxing: Indeed, it did XD  
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**Courtney Gears: Nope, the puppies will come in later on I haven't forgotten them XD **

** YoursAnnie: Here's the update :D Hope you like it!**

**BobSwag: Harvey is a meanie XD I personally like him but he'll pay for what he's done don't worry. Monica will have her chance for revenge :D **

The Joker felt his body tremble against the leather seat violently. His breathing came in short, uneven rasps. Blood rose up in the back of his throat causing him to choke and turn his head in order to spit it out. He grit his teeth when a splitting headache resurfaced.

Monica's eyes shot to his face when she saw this. She could practically hear his teeth grinding against one another as his body writhed in pain. Fear and panic began to creep into her mind as she drew closer to him and tried to ease his pain.

Her shaking hand remained over his wound, trying to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. The other rested over his forehead, trying to get him to stop thrashing around and soothe him.

"Stay with me," she whispered, seeing the amount of blood that he was losing. Her worried gaze shot up to look out the tinted window. She recognized her surroundings, they were close to Gotham General, he just needed to stay alive for a few more seconds.

The clown groaned and shifted his body closer to hers, he was cold…so cold.

Another shiver raked through him before he coughed out more blood. Knowing Two-Face he had probably used expanding ammunition. With his luck the bullet had probably made its way through or into one of his lungs.

"He's gonna' be fine right? He'll be ok?" Harley asked, turning her body to look back at the Joker from the passenger's seat. Monica didn't even bother in answering her; couldn't she see the amount of blood that the man was losing? If they didn't hurry she would be left holding a corpse in a few minutes.

"Drive faster!" Monica shouted, her nerves shot. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes; she couldn't lose him now, not like this.

The more she thought about her situation, however, the more she wondered why she was so concerned over the madman's wellbeing. He was a criminal that had tried to kill her several times over the past couple of months, why was she risking her life again to save him?

Monica pushed those thoughts aside when she felt his gloved hand on top of hers.

"Let me see," he groaned, trying to get her to take her hand off of his wound. Monica shook her head and refused to lift it. If she did he would no doubt worsen the wound by prodding at it.

"No," she replied stubbornly, refusing to obey him. A scowl settled over his scarred lips before another series of coughs raked through his body. Monica tried her best to comfort him and held his body against her small frame.

She could feel him tense when his coughing finally stopped before his head dropped back against her chest. A startled gasp left her lips when she noticed that he had lost consciousness. Her panicked eyes met Grumpy's through the rearview mirror.

With a nod of understanding, the goon stepped on the accelerator and tried his best to get to the hospital despite the debris filled road.

Monica pulled out her cellphone and made sure that Lucifer was waiting for her at the hospital, he was the only person who could help her now.

He pointed out that the chances of the clown surviving were slim; he had arrived at the hospital and taken note that it had been ransacked multiple times. Supplies were limited and the chances of finding what he needed weren't looking good. She hung up after letting him know that they had arrived and helped Grumpy as he reached in and pulled the clown out of the truck.

They rushed inside with Monica and Harley covering Grumpy. The Joker was a target now, he was down and that made him an easy target for anyone who wanted to get rid of him.

"You took your time," Lucifer scolded, meeting them in the lobby of the hospital. The two men proceeded to placing the clown on a hospital bed and wheeling him away as the two women followed behind them.

Monica noticed how the Joker's arm hung limply form the side of the bed, his chest rising and falling at an alarmingly slow rate. Harley kept her eyes on his face the whole time, scared when she noticed how blank and lifeless he looked.

As soon as they pulled him into an empty room Lucifer hooked the clown up to several machines that Monica recognized immediately. The familiar sound of the heart rate monitor filled the room as the biker took out his knife and sliced through the madman's shirt.

Monica looked away when she saw how bad the wound truly was, her eyes closed for a few seconds before Lucifer's voice brought her back to earth.

"I'm going to need you," he snapped, looking at her as she stared back. After a fraction of a second she nodded and stepped forward, knowing that she would have to be the one to hand him whatever he needed.

"Gauze," he ordered, snatching it from her hands as she offered it to him. She watched from over his shoulder as he wiped away some of the blood that kept oozing out of the wound and threw it aside.

The biker took a moment to assess the situation, if he didn't pull the bullet out the Joker would bleed to death, if he pulled it out there was a chance that he would bleed to death either way or die of infection.

"Pliers," he ordered, reaching back as Monica's breath caught in her throat. She handed him the sterilized tool and stepped forward with the gauze following his instructions carefully.

"When I pull it out I need you to cover the wound and apply pressure until I tell you to stop, I don't know the full extent of the damage, the bullet could have pierced his lung or completely missed a vital organ," Lucifer explained, glancing back at Monica who seemed shaken by the whole ordeal. She nodded again when he stopped talking to indicate that she had heard and readied herself.

Lucifer stepped forward and dug the pliers into the wound before successfully finding the bullet and pulling it out. Monica whimpered when the clown's blood splattered onto her face before her senses kicked back in and she rushed forward to cover the gushing wound.

"Shit," Lucifer growled, glancing at the monitors before the lines all went flat and a monotone beep filled the room. Monica's face went pale when she realized what that meant. Harley let out a pitiful cry and fell to her knees mumbling incoherent and broken sentences as tears streaked down her face and blended her makeup.

"No," Monica choked, feeling her world crumble around her when Grumpy neared her and started to pull her away. Lucifer threw the bullet aside and cursed before kicking aside a chair in fury.

"You don't need to see this," Grumpy whispered in her ear as he started to lead her towards the door. Monica shook her head and finally let her tears fall; her worst nightmare had come true.

He was dead.

The Joker was dead.

"No!" She screamed, elbowing the goon behind her and trying to get close to the clown again. Grumpy hooked an arm around her waist and picked her up, she didn't need to remember him this way.

Lucifer stared at his leader with regret-filled eyes, he had failed her. He glanced down at his bloody hands and then at the dead clown on the bed beside him. The biker wanted the clown dead more than anything, that's why he hadn't been careful when he pulled the bullet out. He was starting to have second thoughts, however, when he saw how it affected Monica.

He growled before instructing Harley to help him and for Grumpy to take Monica away. He was going to try to revive the bastard if only for Monica's sake.

The last thing Monica saw before Grumpy pulled her out of the room was Lucifer glancing up at her while holding the two paddles of the defibrillator. She could hear the machine charging up as the door slammed shut.

Her hand reached up to touch the side of her face before she saw the clown's blood on her palm. The sight of the crimson liquid was her breaking point, she had killed him.

It was all her fault.

Her eyes closed and her body went limp as she fainted in Grumpy's arms. The goon grunted, not expecting her to react like that for a man she claimed to hate and feel apathetic towards.

He merely picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. His mind reminded him that he had to get her away from the hospital; the last thing he wanted was for her to run back and look at the clown's dead body. He did the only thing he thought was rational at the time, he took her to a place where he knew she would be safe.

Even as he pulled up to the playboy's mansion a part of him wanted to pull away and take her back to their apartment. He knew he couldn't however, with the Joker dead there would be no guarantee that his goons would stay together. They couldn't guarantee her safety anymore; he preferred to have her away and out of danger than close and in the line of fire.

He carefully took her out of the car and walked up to the large double doors of the mansion after noticing that some lights were still on. After placing her up against a pillar near the entrance he rang the bell and glanced at her one last time before rushing over to the car and driving away.

He couldn't afford to be seen by the playboy or his butler lest they link him back to the clown. The only thing that comforted him was the fact that he could see the doors being opened through the rearview mirror.

Alfred opened the door and stepped outside after hearing the doorbell, his eyes immediately found Monica's body resting up against the pillar.

"Master Wayne!" Alfred called, rushing into the house as Bruce came down the staircase with a towel while he dried his hair. The panicked look on his butler's face made the playboy's brow furrow as he approached the older man.

"What's wrong, Alfred?" the millionaire questioned, resting the towel over his neck as the butler led him towards the door.

"I think you better see for yourself, sir," Alfred replied, motioning over to Monica. Bruce immediately went outside and crouched beside her. A relieved sigh left his lips when he noticed that the blood on her face wasn't hers. The fact that her chest rose up and down at a steady rate calmed his nerves, she was alive. He quickly picked her up and brought her inside after realizing how cold it was outside.

Alfred walked behind him with a worried expression on his face. There had been no one else with her; it was obvious that someone had purposefully left her there with them.

He followed Bruce as the playboy entered his bedroom and waited for the butler to undo the comforter before he laid Monica down carefully. Alfred left the room briefly and came back with a damp rag and a change of clothes.

"For when she wakes," the butler pointed out, setting the items down on the nightstand. He handed Bruce the rag and stepped back as the playboy carefully wiped away the bloodstains on her face with a frown. He would have to ask what had happened once she woke. They had a lot of catching up to do and with all of the rumors he had heard he had a feeling he wasn't going to enjoy their conversation.

"I'll stay with her tonight Alfred, get some rest," Bruce commented, dismissing his butler who in turn nodded and left the room quietly.

Two hours passed and just as the playboy was starting to drift off to sleep the sound of the covers rustling snapped him out of his daze. His eyes shot over to Monica's form as she began to stir.

He got up off of the chair that he had been resting on and moved to her side as her eyes opened and she sat up slowly. She looked around with bewilderment apparent in her expression before she froze and gripped the sheets around her tightly.

"Monica?" Bruce questioned, sitting down on the bed beside her. Her head turned to look at him hesitantly and then at the bloodied rag on the nightstand next to her. It had all been real, not a nightmare like she had wished.

Grumpy had probably brought her to Bruce for her own safety, that was the only explanation she could come up with at the time being.

She couldn't stop the tears that welled up over her eyes and before she knew it she was crying again, unable to stop herself. Bruce was slightly taken aback by this, had it been something he said?

He hesitantly reached towards her before she flinched from his touch. After a few moments, however, she collapsed into his arms sobbing uncontrollably. Bruce merely held her and whispered comforting words into her ear.

"He's dead, Bruce," Monica cried, still in shock as the images of the clown being shot flashed through her mind. She could still feel his shivering body up against hers when she had been holding him in the backseat of the car.

If only she had tried harder, perhaps he would still be alive.

"Who is?" Bruce asked, pulling back slightly. A million of possibilities ran through his head, perhaps it was one of her men or one of the clown's goons.

He could have never guessed the answer.

"The Joker, he's dead," Monica whimpered, finally admitting it to herself and to him. Bruce felt his blood run cold when he heard this.

His rival was dead?

The clown prince of crime was dead?

Impossible.

He would have expected a rush of euphoria to course through him when he heard this news. Monica's cries, however, made him feel more guilt than joy. He had no time to think of his feelings at the moment; all that mattered was the shattered woman in his hold.

He had to be there when she needed him; he couldn't preoccupy himself with his thoughts. There would be plenty of time for that when he managed to calm her down and the sun rose tomorrow.

He sat up with her as she cried well into the night, wondering if she would shed tears like that for him when death knocked on his door.

**Review! Lets see some new faces! For those of you who have been reviewing, I love you all dearly :D**


	52. Bleed

**Bleed**

**A/N: Quick little update for all of you who reviewed, I felt awful for leaving you hanging like that XD Here it is, enjoy! **

"Miss Van Buren, you need to eat," Alfred whispered, setting down a plate of assorted fruit in front of the biker. Monica's eyes glanced at the butler briefly before she flipped her hair back with her hand.

"Im not hungry, Alfred," Monica mumbled, thanking the butler for being concerned about her. At the moment, however, she just needed some time to herself.

"You have not eaten in two days," Alfred replied, refusing to leave her side. Monica's eyes drifted over to the fruit with disinterest. Her hand reached out and picked up a strawberry before she bit it harshly and dropped the remainder back onto her plate.

Her body fell back against the dining chair that she was seated on and a sigh left her lips. Alfred sighed and shook his head, he bowed and left the dining hall with disappointment in his eyes.

Monica sat alone at the table, her eyes looking into the fireplace in front of her. Her body was numb and her hands rested on the armrests of the chair lifelessly. She didn't even register the bookshelf being pushed outwards in the living room.

It wasn't until Bruce appeared beside her that she realized that he was home.

"Nothing," he whispered, sighing while taking a seat beside her.

Monica merely felt her head nod in acknowledgement. Of course he hadn't found or heard anything regarding the clown. He was dead and she was the one at fault.

"I cant stay here," Monica commented, rising from the chair suddenly. Bruce merely stood up after her and stopped her before she left the room.

The biker turned to look at the playboy when she felt his hand grab her arm.

"Did he mean something to you?" Bruce asked, afraid of what her answer might be.

"No," Monica replied firmly, shaking free of his hold. She paused and didn't walk away when she saw a flash of doubt cross his eyes. The last thing she needed was for him to go asking about her and the clown.

"He meant nothing to me," Monica whispered, stepping closer to him. She could feel her throat constrict as Bruce refused to meet her gaze. He wasn't falling for her lies.

"Are you sure about that?" Bruce questioned, tilting his head at her.

"I said," she growled, stepping closer to him while grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him towards her, "he meant nothing."

Bruce stared at her for a few seconds, searching for a sign that might have indicated that she was lying to him. She made sure that her facade didn't break, that she didn't let the tears that were dying to fall from her eyes show.

"Tell me whenever you wish to leave, I'll drive you," he told her, stepping back and giving her space. Monica nodded and started to walk towards the room that had once been hers in his mansion. She needed some time to clear her thoughts before she went anywhere.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me, Bruce," she murmured, pausing beside him while resting a hand on his shoulder. The billionaire covered it with one of his own before raising it to his lips and laying a kiss over her knuckles, taking note of all of a small cut that ran across two of them.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he replied, letting her go and watching her retreating form. It seemed like every time they crossed paths she had a new scar or bruise adorning her skin.

Monica tried her best to keep herself composed as she dragged her body towards the upper levels of the mansion. Her arms wrapped around her waist as she tried to comfort herself and stop the oncoming breakdown.

She had endured Bruce and Alfred's questioning without losing her composure, she didn't want to give in now. Her mind kept trying to soothe her nerves, she had shed enough tears for a man who wouldn't have given her a second glance if she had been in his place.

The door to her room creaked as she pushed it open and stepped inside. She glanced sideways at her phone that rested on the nightstand where she had left it over a month ago, she hadn't even bothered in picking it up and checking it.

What was the point.

Wearily, she stumbled into the large bathroom that was connected to her room and turned the knobs on the sink with shaking hands. She felt relieved when the cold water that she had cupped between her hands hit her face.

"I need to get out," she whispered to herself, shifting her weight onto one of her legs while shaking her head to get a clear mind. After drying her face with a towel she stepped out of the bathroom and picked up her cellphone before heading back downstairs to find Bruce.

She couldn't stand another moment in his mansion, it made her feel guilty. If he ever found out that she had slept with his rival he would probably kill her himself and save the rest of the criminals in Gotham some time and energy.

"Im ready," she commented, leaning on the doorway of the living room. Bruce turned to look at her from his position on the couch before he rose and walked over to her.

"I was hoping you'd stay longer," he replied, his expression hopeful as Monica managed to crack a small smile.

"We both know I have issues to resolve with my men, I cant run away from my problems," she chuckled. His offer was tempting, she wished she could just stay hidden in his mansion with him forever and forget everything that had happened.

She wished she could go back in time and avoid ever crossing paths with the Joker.

"I suppose you are right," Bruce commented, a frown on his lips. Monica shook her head at him and cupped his cheek, knowing full well what he was doing.

"I cant stay, Bruce, I'll come back soon enough," she told him, intending to keep her promise. Alfred merely watched the pair from the doorway, not wishing to disturb them.

"Very well, then," Bruce replied, pulling back before his body leaned forward to capture her lips with his own. He was willing to wait now that he was certain that the clown had never meant anything to her.

Monica followed after him as they reached the garage and picked a car at random. She climbed into his Ferrari without saying another word and sat back against the seat. The comfort of being surrounded with leather was indescribable, she felt like she was back at her clubhouse, sleeping on her warm bed without a worry in the world.

Bruce merely drove her to the center of the city knowing full well that the streets would be empty. Ever since the clown's death criminals were now afraid to go out into the streets for fear of being the next in line to greet the reaper.

"I'll call you soon, ok?" Monica laughed, smiling at the playboy next to her as he pulled up to her clubhouse. She could tell that he was having a hard time in letting her go and truth be told she didn't want to leave him either. He made her feel like there was still a chance for her to start over and live a completely different life.

Away from all of the madness, chaos, and death.

"I'll stand guard by the phone," Bruce replied, content with the fact that she was back to smiling again. It had been over a month since he had seen her smile.

"Goodbye, Bruce," Monica chuckled, getting out of the car and stretching once she was outside. She waved goodbye to the playboy who remained waiting outside until she reached the door of her clubhouse safely.

The first thing she noticed when she stepped foot inside of the building was the fact that it was completely empty. It looked as if no one had been there in over a week. Bottles were still on random tables and shot glasses were scattered everywhere as if her men had just picked up and left.

She walked in cautiously and knocked over a bottle accidentally, sending it crashing to the floor. Cursing, she stepped over the shattered glass and made her way towards the bar. She looked under the counters and noticed that the spare guns they kept hidden in case of an emergency were still there.

"Well, look who finally showed up-ah," a familiar voice snapped from behind her, sending chills down her spine. Her body froze and her eyes widened in disbelief. She was horrified of turning around and confirming her suspicions.

Slowly but surely, she managed to spin her body towards the source and felt her jaw drop when she realized who it was.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost," the clown commented, leaning on a table with his smile stretching from ear to ear. Monica's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider, in fact she had even forgotten to breathe.

"You should be a ghost," she replied, gripping the shelves that housed an assortment of liquors behind her. This was all a figment of her imagination, she had heard the machine flatline, she had seen him die before her very eyes.

"Your dearly beloved biker brought me back, we just wanted to give ya' a scare," he replied, clicking his tongue while starting to walk towards her. Monica could see that he looked better than ever, he had had some time to recover.

She wouldn't have guessed that he had taken a bullet to the chest a month ago. When the reality of the situation finally sunk in, however, she felt something within her crack and seethe at the fact that neither he or his goons had bothered in letting her know that he wasn't dead.

"You son of a bitch! I thought you were dead!" she shrieked, causing him to halt in his tracks. He could see a vein pop out of her neck as her face took on a deep crimson shade.

"Beautiful-"

"Don't you 'beautiful' me!" Monica yelled, interrupting him while she reached back and grabbed a bottle of brand new tequila. It all made sense now, no one was in her clubhouse because he had been there the whole time. Lucifer had probably been in it as well, allowing her and the rest of Gotham to believe that he was dead so he could heal properly.

She hurled the bottle at him with rage, she had worried over nothing.

The clown merely stepped out of the way of the flying liquor bottle and cracked another smile at her. He had had a feeling that she wouldn't take being lied to kindly.

"You fucker, I'll kill you myself!" Monica shouted, grabbing another bottle and throwing it with more force than before. The clown could feel the liquor splash onto his exposed forearm as the glass shattered inches from his feet.

He kept dodging the bottles with ease as she continued her onslaught, clearly upset with him.

When she ran out of bottles she merely stood behind the bar, chest heaving up and down at a rapid pace with rage apparent in her eyes. The clown deemed it safe enough to approach her once more.

He had gone an entire month without her, an entire month of being confined to her room while the wound closed up and he was well enough for the stitches to be removed.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed, shoving him away when he got too close for comfort. Monica was done with his theatrics, Harley could have him for all she cared. She was done with the constant ups and downs that he left in his wake.

"Didn't it ever occur to you to send word that your pathetic ass wasn't dead?" she questioned, hitting his shoulder when he started to laugh at her outbursts.

He had missed her fiery spirit, he needed more of her in his life. All Harley had done over the past month was watch over him and cry at his bedside.

"It wouldn't have been as fun if I had," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest as she fumed in front of him. She felt like reaching over and strangling him.

Unable to contain herself, she clenched her fist and aimed it at his cheek before bringing her hand up to hit him. Much to her shock, he caught her hand with one of his own and grinned down at her like the true madman that he was.

She let out a cry of pain when he started to apply pressure around her hand by closing his own around it. He silenced her by pulling her to him and placing his scarred lips over her own. Monica ran a hand through his green locks and tugged on them harshly to the point where his head snapped back and a hiss of pain left his lips.

"Now we're talking," he growled at her, gripping her waist and tugging her towards him. Monica could feel his fingers burise her hips as he caputred her lips again. His body writhed in pleasure when her nails clawed at his scalp and her teeth bit his bottom lip until she drew blood.

Monica whined when the wood from the counter of the bar dug into her back when the clown pressed her up against it. She undid the buttons of his vest and threw it aside before she tore open his dress shirt in frustration.

She pulled away from him and gripped his tie in one of her hands before she paused to catch her breath. The blood that flowed down from his cut lip made her grin sadistically, she was going to get back at him for everything he had put her through.

"You're mine to torture tonight," she whispered, licking some of the blood away. The clown shivered up against her as waves of pleasure coursed through his body. He needed this now more than ever, the fact that he had waited so long dumbfounded him.

"Beautiful, you can torture me whenever you'd like."

**Review! You didn't think I'd truly kill him did ya?**


	53. Go To Sleep

**Go To Sleep**

**A/N: Alright, here's the next chapter my dears. Thank you to all of the reviewers, you have no idea how much you guys inspire me to write when I see your comments. Anyway, enjoy!**

"Ok, your turn: first kiss?" Grumpy laughed, shifting from his position on the leather couch. Monica shook her head and sighed beside him, all of the clown's goons had turned to look at her by then.

"Alright," she replied, trying to calm the men around her, "it was with a wrestler, Marco Corleone." Monica felt strange recalling her past, it seemed so far away.

Grumpy's brow furrowed when he heard her confession. Monica let loose a small chuckle and realized that she was going to have to explain herself.

"I was in Mexico, it was tradition to go to the matches every Tuesday when I lived there," Monica confessed, a smile creeping on to her lips when she remembered what her life had been like. "The guy practically fell on top of me when another wrestler threw him over the third rope."

"Hell no," Happy commented, suppressing a laugh. The clown glanced at her briefly before resuming his current task: sorting and sharpening his blades.

Grumpy held a hand over his mouth to stop himself from bursting out with laughter.

"As you can imagine, he was three times my weight and a good foot and a half taller, it took both of my brothers to get him off of me," Monica chuckled, feeling tears pool over her eyes. They weren't sorrowful tears; on the contrary, they were tears of joy.

Memories were all that remained of her family; they were the only things that she had to remember them by.

"By the time they did get him off he turned to look at me and kissed me out of nowhere, I always thought it was his way of apologizing," she continued, "it wasn't until the other wrestler pulled him away that I realized what had happened."

"Well, look at you, femme fatale," Grumpy replied, grinning from ear to ear. Monica shook her head at him and smacked his shoulder playfully.

"I have to admit though, it was probably the most thrilling kiss of my life," she confessed, stretching out on the couch as Grumpy allowed her to place her legs over his lap. She had taken her boots off for the time being and had resorted to walking around in her black socks after an entire day of wearing them.

The Joker stabbed the wooden table harshly after hearing her last comment and glared at her warningly from his seat. Monica ignored the clown for the time being, for one night she didn't want to worry about him.

"Alright, you're next," she laughed, poking Grumpy's ribs with her foot. The goon turned and grabbed her ankle before tickling the sole of her foot. Monica let loose a squeal before her laughter filled the room. She tried to kick loose of his hold to no avail before he had mercy and released her.

"I'll take this one before any of you ask something stupid," Chuckles commented, cracking his neck. Blade, who sat next to him shuddered at the noise and shook his head in disapproval.

"Hit me," Grumpy replied, falling back against the couch as he massaged Monica's ankle.

"Wife, kids?" Chuckles asked, curious about the background of the men that he worked with. Until now, none of them had bothered in getting to know one another. They had nothing to do anyway since the clown wasn't in any shape to move around. It had been over a week since they had seen the outside world.

Monica turned to look at Grumpy when he paused and his hand fell over her calf. The clown balanced back on his chair and stared up at his goon expectantly while twirling a blade in his hand.

"I had an old lady once," Grumpy replied, his smile dropping ever so slightly. Monica's own grin disappeared completely once she realized what he had said. She had heard that term used countless times by her father when he referred to her mother. It usually meant one's wife or girlfriend.

"Once?" Happy asked, unsure of whether finding out each other's history had been a good idea.

"Yeah," Grumpy replied, clenching his jaw, "suicide."

Monica felt her heart sink when she heard him; she removed her legs from his and sat up while offering him a hug. Chuckles regretted ever asking as he watched Grumpy rest his head against Monica's collarbone.

"My poor baby," Monica whispered, running her hand through his hair in an effort to comfort him. She sent a disapproving glare towards Chuckles as the other goon raised his shoulders to indicate that he hadn't known.

"What about you, any family?" Monica asked, turning to Blade who had kept quiet during the whole time. Everyone had gone at least once; he was the only one who hadn't spoken.

"None that matter," the young goon replied coldly, sending a shiver down her back. She could see so much of the clown in him already, it scared her. The Joker was slowly molding the goon into himself, making him apathetic towards everything around him.

Monica turned her attention onto the clown only to find him leaning back in his chair, eyes closed and arms crossed across his chest. He was either ignoring her or sleeping, the latter seemed highly unlikely.

She was about to call his attention when she felt her pocket vibrate, her ringtone blaring loudly seconds later. The clown cracked open a single eye as he watched her answer it and pale as she held it to her ear.

"What do you mean they're dead?" Monica choked, feeling her good mood die instantly.

The goons in the rest of the room turned their attention to her when they heard this.

Grumpy could faintly hear the man on the other line through the thunderous racket in the background.

Monica just sat there with the phone held to her ear, unable to say anything.

"He did what?" she screeched, her voice shrill as she stood from the couch as she stormed over to the entrance and slipped on her boots. The clown watched as she paced around the apartment in search of something.

She suddenly stopped and turned to look at him before she took one of his knives and a small machine gun.

"Put the word out, I want him alive so I can cut off his face and place it above my fireplace as a fucking trophy!" she thundered, hurling her phone to the side. The Joker merely rose a brow at her sudden outburst and took note of the knife that she had taken; she always ended up with his favorite.

"Darling?" Grumpy asked, concern filling his expression as she stalked past him and opened the door to the entrance harshly.

"He slaughters my men and uses their faces as goddamn masks?" she shouted in the hallway, kicking a random door out of rage. The Joker felt panic shoot through his body when he heard her, he only knew of one criminal that did that.

Dollmaker,

The man was out for her face, the last thing he wanted was for her to run straight into his arms.

Without saying a word, he rose from his seat and followed after Monica. The rest of his goons fell in behind him with Blade trailing at the back.

By the time they managed to catch up to her she was already at the entrance of the underground tunnels where he had gotten shot the last time he was there. He paused and looked at the dark entrance wearily as his goons rushed past running frantically into the dimly lit club.

He recalled that there had been a gathering that night; every criminal in Gotham would be in the meeting room. He cursed and rolled his shoulders before checking his pockets for a gun. After making sure that he wasn't walking in unarmed, he continued hesitantly and noticed a crowd of people running towards them with panic stricken faces.

"Get out of my way!" Monica thundered, firing shots into the air as the usual club patrons ran towards the exit. Grumpy was close behind, hoping to reach her and calm her down before she reached the meeting room.

The Joker pushed his way through the crowd, his panic rising when he saw that she was already ahead of them, there was no way they were going to reach her in time.

"Get her back!" the clown snarled, slicing the throats of whomever got in his way. The blood that sprayed onto his coat and face did little to ease his nerves, on the contrary, it seemed to fuel his rage further. He started to shoot anyone that crossed his path.

Monica could barely hear his goons calling for her to stop; her mind was set on killing the Dollmaker as soon as she saw him.

She kicked open the doors to the meeting room and scanned the criminals seated around the large table. Their heads all snapped towards her as she made her way over to the man who had slaughtered her men.

"You're dead!" she snarled, pointing her gun towards the Dollmaker as half of the criminals stood from the table in a panic.

"I don't think so," a familiar voice chuckled as she pulled the trigger. Her aim was thrown off by her body being slammed down against the table by a single man, the gun falling out of her hands and clattering noisily on the ground.

Ivy glared at Two-Face warningly when she saw the way that the brunette's head connected with the table.

"Let her go, Harvey," Ivy hissed, standing slowly as the vines around her arms loosened and the red thorns on them came into view.

"She was about to kill him," Two-Face shot back, refusing to let up on the woman that he was holding down. Monica struggled against him hopelessly and glared at the Dollmaker from across the table. The madman merely grinned back through his new mask, Monica could recognize it immediately, it was one of her prospects.

He had only been 19 years old.

"That does not justify your actions, you killed the clown," Freeze pointed out beside Ivy, his mechanical voice echoing through the room. Several whispers and murmurs arose out of his response, all of them regarding the clown.

"He tried to kill me, ice man," The Joker added from the doorway, his gun pointed at Harvey. The whole room went silent and Two-Face's teeth grit when he heard the familiar voice of the clown from behind him. The clown walked in and kept his gun pointed at the ex-DA, by the looks of it he had arrived just in time.

Ivy's nerves calmed when she saw the clown prince of crime, if there was anyone who could get Monica out of her current predicament it was him.

"Let her go, Harvey," the Joker growled, pressing the tip of the gun against Two-Face's head, "or I'll paint the walls with your blood."

Two-Face glanced around the room and found each and every criminal frozen in their seats, their gazes on the thought-to-be-dead clown.

"Don't look at them," the clown scolded, "I'll blow your head off even if it means that neither of us walks out of here alive."

Slowly but surely, Harvey let Monica up and eased his grip before he stepped away with the clown still pointing his gun at him. The biker straightened her jacket and glared back at the man that still struck a familiar chord with her.

"You put up so little resistance," Dollmaker commented, breaking the silence, as the Joker reached for Monica and pulled her to him with his free hand. The biker never took her piercing gaze off of the madman sitting across from where she stood. "Your men were a disappointment as well; you should have seen the way the young one begged for mercy."

"You fucker!" Monica growled, lunging at him across the table. The clown lost his grip on her and watched as she pounced on the Dollmaker who then fell back in his chair. The pair tumbled to the floor as Ivy rose from her seat and made her way over to them.

"Your face is usually beautiful but that sneer just makes it surreal," the Dollmaker teased moments before Monica straddled his waist and started to land punch after punch to his face. She refused to get off of him when Ivy tried to pull her away and continued her assault ready to beat him to death.

"Enough," Bane snapped, rising from his seat as well. He walked over and picked up Monica with ease, still punching and kicking the Dollmaker as she was pulled away from him.

"Murderer!" she screamed, hot tears streaming down her face as the masked man threw her back into the clown's hold. Ivy's brow furrowed upon seeing this while her eyes drifted over to the Dollmaker and his latest mask. Her mind put two and two together, she felt for the woman in the Joker's hold, she had just lost her men to a madman.

"Look what you did, now I'll have to kill more of your men to replace my mask," the Dollmaker snapped, standing and adjusting the mask of flesh to his face. Monica's punches had ruined it and her rings had pierced the skin to the point where she had taken away the beauty of it.

Monica's nostrils flared when she heard this and her chest rose up and down quickly as she struggled in the clown's hold.

"I think I'll go with your VP or your Sergeant at Arms," the Dollmaker informed her, referring to Lucifer and Beelzebub. Monica struggled against the clown and tried to lunge at the madman again.

"Dollmaker, you're forgetting who you're talking to," Ivy reminded him, noticing the way that the Joker's scarred lips twitched into a sneer as the other man continued to provoke the woman in his hold.

Freeze merely stared at the criminals who remained standing, each standing off with another person in the room, daring one another to draw a gun and take the first shot.

"I think it best to call this meeting to an end, the clown prince of crime is alive, I see no reason for us to remain here," Deadshot commented from his seat as he rose and swung his rifle over his shoulder. The Mad Hatter nodded in agreement and stood as well.

Ivy watched the pair of men and then scanned the rest of the room.

No one else was making a move to get up or leave.

"He is right, I have what I came here for," the Dollmaker commented, standing while dusting off his doctor's coat. Before any of them could move or say anything else he reached in and pulled out a small grenade and pulled the pin on it.

The Joker recognized it instantly and shoved Monica out of the door before following after her. The Dollmaker merely put on a gas mask and watched as the criminals around him fell unconscious.

"I got something for you too," the Dollmaker added, knowing that the gas wouldn't work on Bane. Just as the masked man was about to reach out and grab him the madman pulled out a small dart gun and fired it.

Bane glanced sideways at his arm and noticed a pink dart imbedded into his skin, he fell to the floor as he tried to take another step and lay amongst the fallen criminals around him.

The Dollmaker merely glanced towards the empty doorway and shook his head before stepping over several bodies and heading out. To think that they thought they could escape him, how absurd.

"You're gonna get us killed, beautiful," the Joker commented, pulling her along as she kept glancing back to see if they were being followed. The fact that she couldn't see any of his goons didn't sit well with her; perhaps the Dollmaker had taken care of them as well. She was about to comment but stopped when she rammed into his back and noticed that he had stopped walking.

She turned to look at him and gasped when she saw a pink dart piercing his vest and dress shirt.

Moments later she felt a sharp pain near her leg. After glancing down she realized that it had been another dart that had been fired at her.

She didn't even register hitting the ground like the clown beside her did.

All she could hear before a pair of arms carried her away was the Dollmaker's voice in the background giving his men orders.

The last thing that she registered sent a chill down her spine.

"Watch her face; I have worked far too hard for it to be damaged now."

**Review! I had this chapter ready to upload since I posted the last one, the more reviews you guys make the faster I'll upload the next one (which I already have typed out as well) so get to it! We're almost at 700! :D**


	54. Stick a Needle In Your Eye

**Stick a Needle In Your Eye**

**A/N: Here's the next chappie my dears! I hope that it's up to your expectations, I certanily had a hard time writting it. On a brighter note, we reached the 700th mark! And the award goes to: Jenicide24, our 700th reviewer! I love all of you guys, you inspire me to keep on writting! With that said, enjoy! **

Harley slowly started to come to, her head spinning uncontrollably as she tried to open her eyes. She saw nothing but darkness surrounding her. It slowly dawned on her that her head was covered with a black burlap sack. Upon realizing this, fear and panic shot up her spine as she attempted to get up of the chair that she was sitting in.

She could tell that her hands and ankles were strapped to the wooden chair when she failed to free them after several tries. The harlequin started to hyperventilate, surely this was something that the Joker had come up with as punishment for her absence.

Her head whipped around in an attempt to throw off the sack that had been tightened on her neck.

"P-puddin'?" Harley questioned, praying that the clown answered.

She received nothing but unsettling silence.

Her panic rose as time went by.

The skin around her wrists reddened as she continued to struggle against her bindings.

"Stop that, Harleen," a hushed voice whispered in her ear. She turned her head towards the direction of the source. Her body cringed away when she realized that it wasn't the Joker.

"Who are you?" Harley choked through silent cries as she tried to free her hands despite the man's warning.

"You do not remember me?" the voice chuckled, getting closer to the harlequin who in turn shrunk away.

"D-Dollmaker," Harley stuttered, recognizing the voice after hearing it a second time. The fact that she knew her captor didn't put her mind at ease, however, on the contrary, it sent her into a full panic attack.

The ex-psychologist shuddered when she felt the man caress her cheek through the black fabric covering her face.

"What do you want?!" Harley shrieked, nearly falling back with the force that she used to shift her body away from the man. She had been warned countless times by Ivy and all of the other women in Gotham to stay away from the Dollmaker. He had a reputation of cutting off women's faces in order to use them as his own.

"Your pretty façade, Harleen," the Dollmaker replied, circling the harlequin slowly.

Harley's body began to shake when she heard this, where was the Joker when she truly needed him.

"If ya' kill me you'll have to deal with Mistah J," Harley commented, using her last form of defense, it usually worked.

"The clown is next door, strapped to a table as we speak," the Dollmaker replied, enjoying the shiver that ran up Harley's body when she heard this. The madman laughed when he saw the hairs on the back of the harlequins neck and arms stand up.

"The body is an amazing contraption," the Dollmaker added, noticing Harley's reaction to his reply, "it's trying to make you look more intimidating by making every hair on your body stand up."

He ran his gloved hand up one of her forearms and tapped her shoulder comfortingly when he felt her shiver once more.

Perhaps he should have been named the King of Fear instead of Scarecrow.

He was certainly doing his job better than the other man.

Without saying another word, he gripped the sack over Harley's head and slowly removed it.

Harley's blue eyes widened when she noticed that she was in a large room with white paint peeling from the walls. The only lighting and furniture in the room consisted of the chair that she sat on and a small table with a desk lamp on it.

The more she looked at the details of the room, however, the more it started to unnerve her.

The old rusted door with a small window made her heart skip a beat, the layout seemed all to familiar to her by now, she was in an abandoned asylum.

A small whimper left her throat as the Dollmaker grabbed her face and forced her to look at him.

"Look familiar?" He chuckled, the mask of flesh that he wore over his own stretching into a sick grin. The harlequin's face paled when she recognized the madman's new mask, it was Catwoman.

Or it had been, anyway.

Harley held back the urge to gag as he let her go and walked behind her.

She could hear him pick up something that scraped against the grimy tile floor beneath her feet.

Harley tried to steady her breathing as the Dollmaker came into view once more with a gleaming blade in his hands.

"Now, if you sit still this will be painless," the madman laughed, reaching for her face as Harley shook her head and pleaded with him. She could feel as hot tears streamed down her face and smudged her white and black makeup.

A blood curdling scream left her lips when the blade made contact with her jawline and sliced through her skin with ease.

The Dollmaker chuckled as the woman in his grasp thrashed in her restraints and blood squirted onto his face and clothing.

Harley continued to scream as she felt her own skin being torn off, the searing pain causing her screams to get louder and echo throughout the entire asylum.

"My, you had a pair of lungs," the Dollmaker commented as he noticed her head drop and her body slump forward. She was dead, he could now proceed to cut off her face with care without the fear of her ruining his calculated slashes.

The pool of blood beneath him made his smile grow wider as he pulled off Harley's entire face with one light tug. The mass of nerves and veins underneath didn't receive a second glance from the madman as he turned to examine his work.

He examined Harley's face with care before her turned away from her corpse and started towards the door.

"Take this back to my office and set it down carefully on my desk," Dollmaker ordered, handing the harlequin's face to his most trusted goon. The man carefully took the woman's face and carried it away as if it were the most valuable and fragile piece of jewelry.

"Shall I retrieve the other one, sir?" his third in command questioned as the Dollmaker turned to look at the goon beside him.

"No, I want to break her first," the Dollmaker ordered, making his way to the room where Monica was.

The madman had to skip over several discarded wheelchairs and hospital beds. The floor was littered with patient files and photos scattered about as if the hospital personnel had just picked up and left.

He hummed to himself and adjusted his mask before dusting his coat in an attempt to look presentable as he reached the room where he kept the other woman.

She was exactly where he had left her, strapped down to a large bed with leather restraints on her wrists and ankles.

He entered the room quietly and made his way to her bedside, noticing that her head was turned to the side with her hair shadowing her facial features.

"I know when you're sleeping," the Dollmaker whispered, leaning down next to her, "and I know when you're awake."

He brushed her hair aside and smiled when he confirmed his suspicions, she had been awake the whole time.

"Go to hell," Monica snapped, trying to lunge at him despite her restraints. It had been over three days since he had brought her to the asylum and she had barely managed to stay asleep. It was impossible when there was always screaming to keep her awake.

"I know the things you're dreaming," the Dollmaker commented, straightening himself up as he sat down next to her small frame and smiled down at her. Monica felt a shiver run up her spine when she saw this. She pulled even harder at her restraints to no avail.

Her eyes widened when she felt his gloved hand run up her exposed thigh. She thrashed in her restraints in pure panic as memories flooded her mind.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, feeling tears pool over her eyes. The Dollmaker held her down with one hand over her waist while the other held her head in place. He knew enough about her to slowly torture and break her.

"I love it when you're weeping," he hummed at her in content, pleasure coursing through him when he saw her tears streak down her cheeks.

"Get away from me!" Monica shrieked, fear apparent in her eyes as she completely broke down and started to cry. The restless nights and lack of sleep caught up to her in that brief moment making her scream out in pure horror. She screamed with all of her might, screamed for someone to come and get her out of the asylum, screamed for someone to end her misery right then and there.

The Dollmaker scooted closer to her and caressed her cheek, trying to shush her while whispering comforting words to her. He was practically giggling with glee, he had no idea that the Joker's favorite would break so easily.

"Come now, do not wish for death so quickly, I was hoping we could have fun before that," he laughed, smiling at her widely. Monica shook her head and cried out when she felt the Dollmaker snap her head back while exposing her neck.

The madman stared at the large gash across her pale skin with wonder, it was obvious that someone had tried to kill her and failed. He couldnt help but to reach out with one of his hands to trace the large gash. Monica felt her panic rise even more when she felt his hand near her neck, the area had become more sensitive to her ever since Harley had sliced it open.

"Oh, you do not like contact very much, do you?" Dollmaker laughed noticing the way Monica tried to bite his hand when he got to close to her scar. He shook his head and rose from her bed swiftly before he walked over to the doorway and paused once to look back at her.

"Enjoy the company, they are my treat," the madman commented, taking a large black sack from his goon's hands before throwing it in to the room and slamming the door leaving her in complete darkness. It wasn't until she heard the familiar squeaking and bitting coming from the bag that she lost it.

"Put her down in an hour but don't let any of the rats out," the Dollmaker ordered, walking away even as her screams pierced his ears and rang loudly throughout the asylum.

He needed to attend to the clown.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Honey, wake up," Ivy whispered, shaking Monica's small frame worriedly. If the bastards had done anything to her they would pay dearly. "Come on, we don't have much time."

Monica slowly started to wake, the first thing she registered where the pair of arms that continued to shake her desperately. She instantly lashed out, remembering the rats and the Dollmaker before she realized that neither of them had red curly hair.

"Good, you're awake," Ivy sighed in relief, helping the other woman up while glancing towards the door where one of the Dollmaker's goons lay on the ground with his neck broken.

"Ivy?" Monica questioned, confused as to what the botanist was doing in the asylum. Ivy nodded and examined the other carefully, her eyes scanning her body for any signs of abuse.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," Ivy urged, pulling Monica along before she noticed that the biker was wearing nothing but a hospital robe. "This wont do," Ivy commented, pausing while she unbuttoned her orange jacket from Arkham Asylum. Monica eyed her for a few moments, confused as to what the other woman was doing as she gave her the orange garment.

"Put this on," Ivy told her, reaching behind Monica and retrieving her leather pants form the headrest of the bed. She gave them to the biker and waited while the other changed.

Monica slipped into them quickly and managed to find her boots underneath the bed as she realized that there were scattered corpses of rats throughout the room. She followed Ivy out of the room and slammed the door shut when she was out before sighing in relief.

"Now we just have to find a way out of here," Ivy commented, glancing from side to side debating on which way to go.

"Why'd you come?" Monica asked, finding it out of character for the botanist to come to her rescue.

"The bastard tried to gas me! Me of all people!" Ivy hissed, reminding Monica of the events that had happened before she was brought to the asylum. The Dollmaker had dropped a gas bomb in the meeting room leaving half of Gotham's criminals defenseless.

"It didn't work," Monica replied, realizing that Ivy was immune to anything that had chemicals in it.

"Of course it didn't," Ivy replied with a scoff.

They made their way down the hall quietly, avoiding any guards when possible.

"I couldn't let him have your face, he already killed Catwoman and Harley," Ivy explained as they turned a corner and noticed that a light was flickering on and off in a room down the hall.

Monica paused behind Ivy when she heard what the other woman had told her. Harley and Catwoman were dead?

"Oh my god," Ivy's voice whispered, alarming her and snapping her out of her daze. Monica followed the botanist's shocked eyes and gasped in horror when she looked inside of the room.

Without a second thought she turned the knob and rushed inside without checking to see if there was anyone else inside.

"Joker?" Monica questioned, running to his side as she gagged at what the Dollmaker had done to him. He was strapped down to a metal table, his arms restrained in metal shackles while blood dripped down from his various cuts and lacerations.

"Arent you a sight for sore eyes," the clown chuckled, cracking open one of his eyes. He suppressed a hiss of pain as he turned his head to look at the woman beside him. "That jacket goes well with you."

Monica rolled her eyes at his comment and managed a small smile, despite everything he never lost his humor.

"How bad is it?" the clown asked, unable to see the extent of his wounds due to his restrained shoulders. Monica glanced down at one of his arms and returned her gaze to his face when she saw a deep gash that exposed his bone.

"Its not that bad," she lied, trying to suppress her tears. She looked around for anything to free him of his bonds but found all of the tools useless. Unless she found something that could cut through metal he wasn't going to get up any time soon.

"We have to go, honey," Ivy urged from the doorway, keeping watch as Monica exchanged desperate glances between her and the clown on the table beside her. There was no way she was going to leave him in the Dollmaker's asylum.

"Red, I knew you'd keep your word," the clown murmured, fighting back the pain that threatened to turn his laugh into a groan of agony.

"I wasn't going to let him get her too," Ivy replied, checking the hallway once more before she closed the door behind her quietly and walked towards the clown. She couldn't stop the sneer that made its way onto her face when she saw how beat up he truly was.

"How long?" the clown asked, knowing that Monica had lied to him.

"I give it three hours before you bleed out," Ivy replied, her honesty causing Monica to close her eyes and use the table as support.

"We have to go," Ivy reminded Monica, knowing that the Dollmaker would notice her absence soon.

"Im not leaving him," Monica snapped back, refusing to move from the clown's side. The Joker chuckled at her loyalty, foolish as it might be, it never seized to amaze him.

"Harley is dead, he had you in a room full of goddamn rats, Im not leaving you here to suffer her fate!" Ivy snarled, grabbing Monica's arm before she shook the woman in her hold to knock some sense into her. The Joker's lip's twitched downward when he heard that Harley was dead, his squeeze was next. "You've got a minute to say goodbye!"

Monica turned towards the clown when she realized that she had had to leave him there. If she stayed, Ivy being there would only give the Dollmaker another face to cut off when he was done with her.

"Promise me you'll make it out of here," Monica whispered to him, holding his face with her hands. The clown frowned when he realized that she was genuinely concerned over him. Her cool hands over his scars, however, calmed him and seemed to ease the pain that he was in if only for a minute or two.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," he lied, knowing that his chances were slim. He laughed as he grinned at her despite the constant pain that he was running through his body. The sooner she left him the better, it would give her more time to run, it that meant lying to her in order for her to leave then he wouldn't hesitate to deceive her.

"Don't die," she whispered to him, kissing his scarred lips. He could taste her salty tears and the blood from her cut lip, it was a combination that he wasn't willing to part with just yet.

"Lets go, already!" Ivy snapped, pulling Monica away from the clown with a roll of her eyes. The botanist knew the clown would make it out of the asylum, he had gotten out of tougher situations with ease. The thing that got to her, however, was the fact that he seemed to fight against his restraints when she pulled Monica away from him.

Monica glanced back at the beaten clown and at the bloodied knives and hooks around him before the door slammed shut and Ivy pulled her away. The Dollmaker was going to torture him once he noticed that she was gone.

"Enough," Ivy snapped, turning to look at the biker in her grip, "if were going to make it out of here alive I need you to forget about the clown."

Monica nodded slowly, regretting her choice of leaving him behind as she followed Ivy to the lower levels and out into the parking lot. The alarm was sent out as soon as Ivy handed Monica the keys to her motorcycle. The two women hopped on and drove away before the Dollmaker caught up to them.

"Head over to my shop," Ivy ordered, once she noticed that the biker was heading back to her old hideout. The botanist had to resist the urge to choke the other woman, the first place the Dollmaker would look would be there and her clubhouse, she wasnt safe in either of those places anymore.

Monica obliged feif only to keep her mind on the road and not on the clown prince of crime who was still back at the asylum, buying them time and taking the wrath of the Dollmaker for her.

**Review! Any requests for what you guys would like to see happen? We're nearing the end, my dears. I can see the light at the end of the long tunnel!**


	55. Thorn in Your Side

**Thorn in Your Side**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait my dears. Have you seen the reviews? There are so many that I felt overjoyed when I read each and every one. I cannot express my gratitude towards you, you keep me writing! Here are some side notes to you guys, I havent done this in a while, to those of you who simply reviewed as guest I'll just give you some electronic cookies instead since I wont be able do distinguish all of you down in the sidenotes, I love you all as well: **

**CuteSango07: He made it out alive, don't worry! :D and yes, Catwoman had to be sacrificed for the good of the cause even though I like her as well XD**

**Susie: I would LOVE to make it more detailed but I dont wanna get carried away and turn this into an M rated fic XD however, I can see what you mean by what you wrote, if you have any suggestions or something that you'd like to see happen between the two feel free to tell me in your next review and I'll gladly add it in. **

**Amber: Yes...rats seem to have that effect on people XD **

**Jasmine Scarthing: Voila, the dark knight is in this chapter, just for you! :D**

**BobSwag: I personally think he's the creepiest as well. And yes I recall him cutting off the clown's face in the comics, let's just say I went against that for the purpose of this story, we cant have a faceless clown walking around now can we? **

**LaurenvBelladonna: I think we've all grown to love that crazy bastard XD**

**Erik-is-my-angel1234: Glad you like it, love! :D**

**cocobyrd87: Oh, I have something special planned for the Dollmaker dont worry, although it doesnt involve Bane, I wish it did D: **

**YoursAnnie: Thanks for the review, love, and I love you too for reviewing! :D**

**Jenicide24: Trust me, my dear, thats just a few of the people who are gonna end up dying by the time Im through with this fic. ;)**

**iluvville: I promise I wont let the madman die :D**

**RealHuntress18: Of course it cant end now, I mean Im just getting started! XD**

The Joker lay completely still, his body now numb. His time was running out, if he stayed in the asylum any longer he would die there. He closed his eyes when he heard the door to his room open and halted his breathing, he was going to get out one way or another.

"You sure about this?" a man asked, his voice shaky and unsure. The clown could tell that it wasnt the Dollmaker, the other man had a more distinguished and unmistakable tone.

"The boss just wants to make sure that he's still alive, he's strapped down to a table, whats the worst he could do?" the other replied. The clown could hear the door shut before a single set of steps aproached him. He was struggling to keep himself from breathing or giving away any signs that he was still alive.

"I think he bled out!" the man in the room shouted, his voice changing as the clown presumed that he had turned towards the door. His lungs were about to burst, he just needed to hold on for a few more seconds.

"Take a scalpel and cut the grinning bastard, if he moves he's alive, if he doesnt at least you'll have the chance to boast to everyone that you carved up the infamous clown!" the other called back, hitting the door with what the clown could have only guessed as a crowbar by the metallic clang that it made.

The Joker heard the man grab a scalpel from the small tray on top of the table beside his head. He could practically feel the other man's body heat as he leaned over to see if the madman was breathing. It was only when he felt the scalpel close to his scarred smile that his eyes shot open and a smile stretched across his lips.

"Gotcha'," the clown chuckled, taking the scalpel out of the horrified man's hand and holding it between his teeth. Without a second thought, he drove it into the man's neck and chuckled when blood squirted out and hit his face. The coppery smell filled his senses within seconds and brought him back to life as he spat out the shard object close to his hand and worked at the lock on the shackle.

The dull thud of the gunman's body hitting the floor alerted the other who had been standing guard outside and in moments he had burst into the room. He found his friend bleeding out on the floor, face down in a puddle of his own blood. The clown was nowhere to be seen.

It wasnt until he felt the cool of a sharp blade on his throat that he realized his mistake. He had walked in without checking the back of the door, the Joker had been hiding there the whole time.

"Shh," the madman whispered, walking backwards and out of the door with the other man in his hold in case there were any others out in the hallway. His head whipped from side to side once he was out in the hall for a way out, the closer the better.

"Why are you doing this?" the man questioned. He had seen how the Dollmaker operated, he would merely find the clown and the girl again and finish what he had started. Escaping seemed out of the question to him.

"Because I only stay here as long as I think it's funny," the clown hummed in his ear, dragging him down the hall with the blade close to his neck, "and its not funny anymore."

The man panicked when he heard the Joker's tone drop, he knew what was coming. Before he could even call for help he felt the sharp blade pierce his skin and sever his throat. Blood oozed down his neck and over the clown's glove as he released the man and shook off the crimson liquid.

He stepped on the body while he made his way towards the nearest door at the end of the hall. His left hand craddled his right forearm and his breathing came in short ragged rasps.

The sooner he got back to Monica's appartment the better.

"Hey, what are you do-"

The clown silenced the man who had turned a corner and bumped into him with a flick of his wrist. He drove the scalpel deep into the man's chest and twisted it harsly. He could hear as he tore flesh and grinned when the man coughed out blood before collapsing onto the floor.

"Can I just get a minute to relax?" the clown questioned, dusting his coat despite all of the bloodsplatters that it held.

He didnt even mind that his shoes were leaving bloody footprints all over the place. On the contrary, he wanted the Dollmaker to know that he had gotten away and had slaughtered several of his men on his way out.

His attention was caught by a small door next to him as more footsteps approached his location. Upon opening the metal door he realized that it was a laundry disposal shaft that looked like it hadn't been used in years. He glanced inside, the tunnel didn't look too comforting or stable but he could see that it led to the main level of the asylum.

The Dollmaker glared at the clown as he turned a corner and dared him to try and escape as his men rushed past him to stop the madman.

The Joker winked at him and picked up a gun that the other guard had dropped when he had killed him. He waved goodbye to the Dollmaker and let his body drop back into the shaft as he cackled and shot at the men who peeked inside of the dark tunnel with surprised looks on their faces.

He ended up landing in a cart of bloodied straight jackets and towels with a groan of pain that was soon cut off by his endless and booming cackles.

"I should definately do this more often," he laughed, rolling his body over and falling unceremoniously onto the cold floor beneath him.

He picked his body up and strolled out of the room with a look of triumph on his face.

The gun in his hand was emptied of two more bullets as he shot the men near the entrance and took a third hostage at gunpoint.

He forced the man out into the pouring rain and made him walk all the way with him for a mile until he reached a road that had the occasional car driving by.

"I guess I should borrow a car," the clown commented, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and forcing him out onto the road when a car neared them. The familiar sound of screeching tires reached the Joker's ears as he turned his attention from his surroundings back onto the road.

Much to his disappointment the driver hadn't rolled the man over.

"Gotta do everything yourself," the clown growled, stepping out of his cover with his gun pointed at the man who stood in front of the car with a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. Without even glancing at him, the Joker pulled the trigger and planted a bullet in his head before he moved towards the driver's door and lurched it open.

"I need to borrow your car, ma'am," the Joker sang, pulling out the woman and tossing her onto the road as she protested and got up to retrieve the child that was in the backseat. The clown glanced back at her through the rearview mirror and at the pink blanket that she was holding close to her small chest that rose rapidly in panic upon seeing him.

His lips dipped downward for a few moments as he recalled the picture of Monica that he still kept in his coat, she had the same pink blanket wrapped around her.

"You see this," the madman cooed, grabbing the child's teddy bear and waving it in her face. The child nodded, her blue eyes wide with fear and intrigue as the Joker ignored the woman pounding on the rolled up window. "Fetch," the clown ordered, taking out his gun and shooting the seatbelt off of the highchair while he tossed the bear out onto the curb and undid her door lock.

Within seconds, the child raced out of the car and into the woman's arms before retrieving her teddy bear. The clown didnt glance back at the pair as he drove away and shook his hair out of his eyes.

He rummaged through the woman's purse, hoping to find something of use and smiled when he found a brand new Galaxy in his palm. He dialed Monica's number and frowned when her name actually came up on the dialing id instead of her number, he shrugged it off and rose the phone up to his ear.

"Lila?" Monica's voice questioned when she picked up, the Joker laughed and shook his head.

"Yes this is her," he replied, knowing that Monica would recognize his voice.

"What did you do?" her voice growled dangerously, catching him off guard.

"I didn't do-"

"Where's Lila and why do you have her phone?" Monica questioned harshly.

The clown sighed and dropped his head back against the seat. Out of all of the people in the world that he could have stolen a car from he had stolen one from someone that Monica actually knew.

"Oh god...where's Kiri?" Monica shrieked suddenly, throwing something that shattered through the speaker. The Joker could hear Ivy in the background trying to calm the biker down with hushed words.

"Doll, I'm as confused as you are," the clown replied, stepping on the gas and speeding through a red light as he neared the Narrows.

"She's my three years old niece you crazy bastard, she was with Lila, my sister in law, don't pretend you don't know what Im talking about, you have her phone!" Monica barked back, reprimanding him through the phone. The Joker merely closed his eyes briefly and enjoyed the sound of her stressed voice. He had gone too long without listening to her ranting on about something at him.

"Oh," the clown sang, suddenly remembering the child and the woman that he had just left, "I borrowed the car and the phone, they're fine."

He could hear Monica sigh on the other line and Ivy move about before he repositioned the phone and glanced out of the window as he neared the botanist's shop.

"If it makes ya feel any better I left them under a large tree, Im sure they'll have plenty of time to hitch a ride before they're drenched," the Joker hummed, hanging up before she could reply as he turned the key backwards on the Lobo and stepped out into the rain as he walked calmly towards the botanist shop.

"What did you do?" Ivy asked, greeting him outside of the doorway with a glare that could have held its own in hell.

"I stole a car, nothing new," the clown replied, grinning from ear to ear as he tried to get through. The botanist blocked his way in every direction that he tried to get through.

"She's going to butcher you," Ivy commented, pausing as he sneered at her attempts to stop him from getting in.

"I've been looking forward to it," the Joker replied, stepping forward once more and into the shop when the redhead finally let him in.

"She's on the roof, I'll pray that you loose your footing," Ivy commented, hoping that the other woman would push the man off of the roof and save both of them any unnecessary stress.

The Joker merely made his way through the shop while stepping over several large vines and bright vibrant flowers. By the time he reached the elevator his cheek had been cut by a red thorn and his jacket had gotten caught in several others.

He found Monica on the roof, just like Ivy had told him, leaning up against the glass door that led outside. The clown knocked on it and grinned while shaking his head when she ignored him.

Without thinking twice he clenched his hand and drove it through the glass, shattering it and opening the door in the process. Monica glanced back at him when she felt her support disappear from behind her. Several shards made small cuts on her back and got caught in her hair as the clown stepped over them.

"You could have just pushed it open," she commented with a blank stare as rain continued to drench her clothing and her hair. The clown merely stood beside her and glanced at the white roses that Ivy had planted and positioned over white arches.

"Where's the fun in that," he replied, turning to look at her.

Monica merely sneered back at him and stepped away.

"What did you do to them?" she asked, never forgetting the fact that he had interfered with her family.

"I just took the car, beautiful, nothing more," the clown replied, glancing up and noticing that his makeup wouldn't hold out in the heavy rain. Monica could see as black ran down the white and red grease pain.

"If anything happens to my brother's child I will personally skin you and offer your face to the Dollmaker," Monica replied. She was defensive when it came to Kiri, she was the only thing she had left. She was currently waiting for a call from her men whom she had sent out to pick the pair up.

"So she was the cop's kid," the Joker replied, nodding his head in understanding.

Monica remained silent, glancing down at the ruins of the city that had once been brightly lit and alive.

"How'd you get out?" Monica questioned, noticing the bandages wrapped around his arms and chest. She could see the white material through his torn vest and dress shirt.

"I had to bribe the Dollmaker with some candy and guns," the clown replied, grinning at her. Monica rolled her eyes at him, she wasn't in the mood for his humor. Despite this, however, her worried eyes never left his bandages, she could see blood seeping through the material slowly.

"Let me see the mess that you made," she ordered, stretching out her hand for one of his. The Joker hesitated and placed his forearm in her small hand as she lifted the bandages slightly and grimaced. "You didn't even stitch these up properly."

"I had guns shooting at me, I couldn't tell them to wait while I tried to find a way around a needle," he replied, pulling his arm back at the mere thought of a needle. He bit the inside of his cheek nervously and recalled when he had had to sew up his trademark grin.

Before he could do anything else, however, the familiar flutter of a cape snapped him out of his thoughts. His grin grew wider as he realized what it meant. It only confirmed his suspicions, he had been more active ever since Monica had disappeared.

"Bats, how long has it been?" the Joker questioned, grabbing Monica harshly and pulling her to him. She winced underneath his grip and cried out when he twisted her arm back against him. She was about to protest and shout at him but stopped when she saw the infamous Batman land in front of them, shrouded by darkness.

Batman merely remained silent, his eyes burning holes into the madman who remained with Monica as his shield.

"Did he hurt you?" the caped crusader demanded, turning his blazing glare onto Monica who immediately shook her head and remained speechless. She had the feeling that if she hadn't been standing between the two men the Batman would be beating the clown to death for laying a hand on her.

"The scowl doesn't suit you," the clown commented, pointing at Batman's expression before Monica tried to get away from him. He twisted her arm more and glanced down when he noticed that he had opened a gash on the side of her waist with his rough handling. Her labored breathing kept him glancing back and forth between her and the Batman.

"Let her go," Batman demanded, taking a step forward as the Joker shook his finger at the dark knight.

"Lets not get carried away," the clown chuckled, pulling out a knife and clicking it open before he placed it over Monica's throat. She instantly squirmed and backed up into him in an attempt to get away from the blade.

"You fucking bastard," Monica hissed, he knew how she felt about blades near the gash that Harley had made on her throat.

"Does it bother you that much that she chose me over you?" the clown asked, making Monica and Batman both freeze in their place.

The biker threw the clown a warning glance, she had a feeling of where the conversation was going.

"What?" Batman snarled, his temper getting the best of him.

The Joker smirked, he had the dark knight right where he wanted him.

"First it was Rachel," the clown pointed out, "she chose Dent."

Batman was practically fuming as the clown leaned in to Monica. She shrugged him off, not wishing for his touch after the whole knife fiasco.

"And now, your bunny is leaving you once more for another criminal," the clown continued, his chocolate eyes mocking the Batman who stood a few feet away with his fists clenched tightly. Monica closed her eyes in regret, she hadn't wanted things to unravel themselves in that manner.

"Let her go, Joker," Batman growled, stepping forward once more as the madman grabbed Monica's forearm and dangled her over the edge of Ivy's roof. Monica looked down and pleaded with the clown when she saw the 50 story drop that awaited her. She clung to the clown's arm for dear life with both of her hands.

"Poor choice of words, Bats," the clown replied, letting Monica go as she reached for the rose bushes in a desperate attempt and left a bloody print on the white arches before going over the edge.

Time seemed to slow and her heart skipped a beat when she no longer felt firm ground beneath her feet and her body began to free fall.

The clown laughed as Batman rushed past him and practically threw himself after Monica. With the caped crusader gone he had the time to leave the scene without having to deal with him for the night.

As he left, Monica's panicked screams reached his ears and made him pause only once to glance back at the edge of the building and at her bloodied finger prints on the arches and thorns.

He turned away, knowing that Grumpy was already outside waiting for him in his Escalade. He would talk with the biker soon enough when the Bat wasn't around to interrupt him.

Batman merely concentrated on catching the biker before they both hit the ground.

"Bruce!" Monica cried out desperately, horror apparent in her voice as she reached for him with tears in her eyes. Her black hair whipped around her and her drenched clothing pulled her down faster as rain continued to pour down on them.

The moment he reached her secured an arm around her and reached for the grappling gun on his belt. Monica buried her face in his chest as he fired the gun at a nearby building and swung them safely onto a small garden a block away from Ivy's shop.

They landed harshly despite his attempts to ease the blow due to the speed at which they had been going and rolled on the wet grass for a few seconds before he stood and helped her up.

He could feel her heart pound against her chest as he pulled her close and shielded her shaking form the rain with his cape. He ushered her over to the Tumbler and helped her in before climbing in himself. She gingerly held her side which kept bleeding profusely all over his seat as he stepped on the gas and headed back to the underground cave beneath his mansion.

He would question her later on what the clown had said. He had a feeling that the madman had merely been pushing his buttons to see what he would do. She couldn't possibly be with him, could she?

With that thought in mind, her turned to look at her only to notice her body slump sideways as she fell unconscious.

He increased the speed of the Tumbler and prayed that the clown had been lying to him.

He didn't know what he would do to the madman if he had spoken the truth.

If anything, he would be willing to break his one rule to make the other man pay.

**Review!**


	56. You Can't Have Both

**You Can't Have Both**

**A/N: My god, this is a miracle chapter my dears. I started with a nice chapter, decent length, and decent writing but my ipad totally tweaked on me and erased it. After several minutes later, a few cups of coffee, numerous cans of coke, and one Abney Park album later, I managed to write this chappie but alas, it was erased again and I had to wing it again with less enthusiasm than before. It's not my best chapter so bear with me my dears. With that said, and three re-writes later, here it is, enjoy! **

"Miss Van Buren, may I have a word?" Alfred questioned as Monica started to sit up on Bruce's bed. The biker turned her bewildered eyes towards the butler and rubbed the sleep away from her eyes.

"Sure, Alfred," she replied, stretching and yawning despite the fact that the sun was starting to set. She had grow accustomed to Bruce's schedule. She woke when he did and slept when he did. In a way she found the name Batman quite suiting, the man slept during the daylight like a bat and went out at night.

The old butler's face became sullen, catching Monica's attention instantly.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. Alfred shook his head and calmed her for a few moments.

"This is about the clown," Alfred commented, making the color from Monica's face pale. She crossed her legs and pulled a pillow onto her lap for some sort of comfort. She had a feeling as to where the conversation was going.

Before she could open her mouth to defend herself the butler motioned for her to wait.

"And Master Wayne," he added, his voice calm. Monica wondered how the man could keep such a blank facade when she was on the point of breaking when it came to the two men in question.

"What do you want to know, Alfred," Monica replied, seeing no other way out of her situation. She knew that it had only been a matter of time until the clever butler found her out.

"What is your relationship with the madman?" Alfred questioned, his eyes suddenly hardening. Monica paused, not knowing how to answer his question. She hadn't even asked herself that question.

She had no relationship with the clown. They didn't cuddle, hold hands, or comfort each other when they had a bad day. Monica resisted the urge to laugh, the day the clown did any of those things hell would probably freeze over.

What they did do, however, was fight and argue with one another.

She couldn't recall the last time she had walked into her apartment without having to scream at the clown about one thing or another.

"We don't have a relationship, Alfred, I merely use him as much as he uses me," Monica replied, somewhat disappointed with her answer. She had run that through her mind a couple of times already, she didn't know why it upset her every time it crossed her mind.

The butler's eyes scanned her expression intently, by the way that her eyes glanced down sadly at the comforter he knew she was being honest. He couldn't understand why she would be distraught with having no relationship with the clown.

"And why would you need a man such as him?" Alfred asked, wanting to know the full truth before he went any further with the conversation.

"Protection, Alfred," Monica stated simply, she didn't need to think that answer through. It was nothing but the truth.

No one in their right mind would approach her now that they knew that she ran with the clown. Anyone who had been in Gotham long enough knew that the Joker was not to be messed with or crossed.

"Very well, Miss Van Buren," Alfred replied, her answer made sense.

Monica's brow furrowed when she noticed that Alfred still held an uneasy look in his eyes.

"Where are you getting at with all of this, Alfred?" Monica questioned, fear creeping into her mind. She hated it when she didn't know what people wanted from her.

"These men, both Master Wayne and the clown, both have their advantages," Alfred commented, sensing that she hadn't been entirely open with him. Monica glanced up at him when she heard this. She was curious to see where he was headed with all of this.

"But they also have their disadvantages," Monica added. Alfred nodded, she was slowly starting to catch on.

"They will end up killing each other if this continues, Miss Van Buren," Alfred commented, his face stoic, "you and I both know why."

Monica swallowed hard and nodded.

She knew exactly what Alfred meant.

It was all because of her.

She had seen Bruce lose his temper when he had seen her with the clown on Ivy's rooftop. She also knew what the Joker was capable of, she had seen him kill several people with her very own eyes. If the two ever went at and she wasn't there to stop them she wouldn't put it past the clown to kill the Dark Knight.

"Did Bruce leave tonight?" Monica asked, no longer comfortable with having the two men cross paths without her there. Alfred's own ashen expression made her shoot out of the bed without a second thought.

"Oh god," she whispered, gathering her clothing. She tried her best to slip into her normal leather get up without irritating her fresh wounds too much. Despite all of her efforts she managed to reopen several smaller cuts that made her wince more than they should have when she recalled that the Dollmaker had made them.

The butler merely headed out of the room the moment she started to change. He could hear her cursing and rushing down the hallway with her arms flailing to her sides as she ran with panic apparent in her eyes.

"Shit, which way was the staircase?" she cursed, looking from side to side while trying to tame her black curls into place.

"Two rights from where you are, Miss Van Buren," Alfred called form the top of the staircase. In an instant her footsteps reached his ears as she rushed past him and skipped several steps. She managed to keep her footing as she raced out towards the front of the mansion but stopped as soon as she realized that she had nothing to drive in.

"The Lamborghini keys are the ones on the left," Alfred commented, motioning towards the several rows of keys that hung near the doorway. Monica uttered a small laugh and grabbed them before waving goodbye to Alfred.

Without hesitation, she turned the car on and sped away, hoping that the clown had decided to stay in for the night.

She had to take several detours due to the debris on the road that the Tumbler had probably managed to go over. When she reached her apartment building she parked the car in the darkest part of the lot and raced towards the door upon seeing a single Escalade parked outside.

Her tired legs carried her up the stairs and down the hall with speed that she hadn't thought possible in her current state of health. By the time she reached the door she was practically gasping for air.

Upon entering, however, she found the clown lounging on her leather sofa.

His tired chocolate eyes drifted over to her and then back onto the ceiling when he noticed that she was alone. Monica couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face when she noticed that he hadn't even moved to acknowledge her.

Her breathing calmed as she closed the door behind her and headed towards the kitchen for a glass of water.

"What's the rush, doll?" the clown's voice asked from his position on the couch.

"There is no rush," Monica replied, ditching the idea of water for wine. She opened the cupboards and face palmed when she realized that Happy had set all of the glasses out of her reach. A deep sigh left her lips as she glanced up at them and shook her head in dismay.

"Oh, I was certain that you rushed here to see me," the clown commented from behind her before he wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up. Monica had little to no time to doge the cupboard in order to avoid hitting her head on it as she grabbed a glass and glanced down at the clown.

"I didn't," Monica lied before she felt his arms disappear and she was left to catch herself. She managed to regain her footing and glared at him as she popped open a bottle of wine and poured some of the crimson liquid into her glass.

"Or maybe, you rushed back hoping to catch Batsy," the Joker commented, making her choke on her wine.

"What?" Monica spat, her eyes scanning her apartment for anything out of place. The only thing she noticed where the absence of the clown's goons. It was nothing new to her by now, he had probably sent them out on a coffee run or another impossible errand. With Gotham as chaotic as it was it would probably take them all night to complete whatever the clown wanted.

"He swung by, nearly tore down the door, by the way, you might want to send a bill for damage repairs," the clown commented, his eyes showing how bored he was with the whole conversation. Monica merely rolled her eyes at him, he was just lying to get on her nerves.

"He didn't swing by, he doesn't even know you're here," Monica snapped, stepping away with her glass of wine. The clown's brow arched at her comment.

"How would you know, beautiful?" he asked, catching her arm as she passed by. Monica cursed inwardly and realized her mistake. She had been close to blowing Bruce's cover, that is if she hadn't already done so the night that the clown had thrown her off of the roof.

"I don't, just a guess," she lied, turning away from him before she said anything else.

His grip on her arm, however, didn't ease. He turned her around and seized her jaw with his other hand.

Monica could feel tears pool over her eyes with the force that he was using. She squirmed in his grasp and tried to shake free, she knew better.

"You aren't holding out on me, are ya'?" the clown demanded, his eyes locked on her own horrified pair. Monica could have sworn his chocolate orbs had turned several shades darker. The glass in her hand shook as she tried to calm herself and shook her head.

"Stop," she whimpered, the glass in her hand shattering when his other hand locked around her neck. Alarms instantly went off in her head when she recalled the sensitive scar that he was irritating.

The clown's expression instantly changed when he saw her tear streaked cheeks and felt her trembling body up against his. He released her and stepped away from her traumatized form.

Monica collapsed onto the ground and managed to cut her hand on some of the glass shards that had scattered about. It hadn't even been a week since she had managed to get away from the Dollmaker and the Joker was already tormenting her like he had.

"Dont touch me," she choked, flinching away from his gloved hand as he reached over to help her up. He reminded her too much of the Dollmaker at the moment for her to accept anything from him, even something as simple as a touch.

The clown pulled back immediately upon seeing her crumpled form on the kitchen floor.

Monica pulled herself up and bloodied the counters with her hand as she backed away from him slowly and headed towards the bedroom. She cradled her wounded hand to her chest and made sure to avoid getting too close to him as she passed by.

She slammed the door shut behind her and headed towards the bathroom with a grimace on her face. She turned the water on and ran her hand under it for a good minute before she grabbed some gauze and wrapped it up pitifully.

After one last tug, she stepped out of the bathroom and turned off the light. She glanced briefly at the door and after making sure that it was locked, collapsed onto her bed and pulled a pillow close to her chest.

Much to her dismay it had the clown's makeup smeared all over the surface. As much as she hated the man at the moment she found herself drifting off into sleep with the pillow in her arms. His scent made her feel safe for some strange reason, it calmed her nerves and eased her thoughts, she knew that nothing could get to her as long as he was there.

The Joker turned away from the mess that she had made in the kitchen when he heard the door opening. Grumpy walked in, followed by the rest of the clown's goons, with a body over his shoulder. He dropped the man onto the ground in front of the clown and rolled his shoulders before another familiar figure stepped in through the doorway.

"I couldn't get him to break," Scarecrow commented, tilting his head at the man on the ground who squirmed and screamed through the gag that had been placed in his mouth. The clown walked over to them and glanced down at the man before he pushed him sideways with his foot to get a better look at the criminals neck.

Sure enough, a thread and needle tattoo stared back at him. He worked for the Dollmaker, he probably knew where the masked man was hiding out.

"I'll get him to sing," the clown replied, motioning for his goons to take the man away.

"Why not just do it now, before the drug wears off, I mean you're horrifying to begin with...now imagine the possibilities with the hallucinogen gas," Scarecrow pointed out, watching as the clown's goons stuffed the man into a nearby closet.

"Because," the Joker replied, leaning in towards the ex-psychologist as he clicked his tongue, "I don't need the gas, I'll break the boy in five minutes."

Scarecrow felt a chill run down his spine when he heard this and stepped away. He backed himself up against a door as the clown turned to look at him sharply.

"Wake her up," the clown dared, pointing with his knife at the door behind Scarecrow, "my offer still stands."

Scarecrow instantly backed off of the door, recalling the clown's threat from long ago on the train. His pale hand rose to trace his mask and then the area over his cheeks. He didn't want get his face carved just yet.

"Who rained on his parade?" Scarecrow questioned as the clown walked towards the door and left Grumpy and Happy behind. The force of the door slamming shut caused the three men to jump in alarm as they glanced at each other briefly.

"I can only guess," Grumpy replied, glancing towards Monica's door.

**Review! You guys have been amazing, I love you all! Seriously, you make my day and make this story possible!**


	57. Would You Hurt Me?

**Would You Hurt Me?**

**A/N: It took me forever but here it is. I hope you guys like it, let me know what you think. I'll reply back to you guys in the next chapter, Im just too tired right now and I stayed up late just to finish this. Enjoy!**

"Make sure she doesn't come out," the Joker ordered, passing by Monica's door while he twirled a knife. Grumpy stared after the madman and groaned when he heard the closet door being opened. A muffled scream reached his ears as the clown passed by dragging the Dollmaker's gunman by his feet.

"Boss, shouldn't we wait until she's gone?" Grumpy asked, glancing at the rest of the goons around him. The Joker snapped his head up sharply and locked eyes with the man that had just questioned him.

"I'll hold the door," Happy commented before the Joker could do anything else. Chuckles grabbed Grumpy and pulled the goon away when he noticed that the clown was still glaring at them. If he didn't act soon he wouldn't put it past the madman to drop what he was doing just to run a blade through their necks.

Happy shook his head at Grumpy and sighed as he leaned on Monica's door and watched as the clown undid the man's gag. Just as soon as his mouth was free, curses started to echo off of the walls as the clown smiled at him and tried to silence him.

"Shush or I'll have to cut out your tongue and look for someone else to tell me what I want to know," the Joker growled, his voice dropping as he neared the downed man. Crouching, the clown grabbed the man's collar and picked him up before slamming him down with brute force.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Monica's voice questioned, the jingling of the doorknob reaching the clown's ears. He glanced up to make sure that she didn't succeed in opening it before resuming his task.

Chuckles and Happy both leaned heavily on the door as the biker inside tried to open it with a push.

The gunman in the Joker's grasp groaned when his head connected with the wooden floor beneath him. He turned to look at the door and then heard a woman's voice demanding to be let out.

"She cant help you," the clown chuckled, grabbing the man's jaw as he forced his gaze away from the door and onto him.

The man smiled up at the Joker and spat in his face before dropping his body back down onto the ground. A pin hitting the floor could have been heard due to the stillness that invaded the room.

Grumpy actually stepped back as the madman sighed, wiped away the offending spit, and straightened himself up while facing away from the gunman.

"You think you're in control," the man chuckled, his body trembling as laughter erupted from his lips, "he'll come for her and he'll cut off her face just like he did to the harlequin that used to follow you around."

Monica paused when she heard the strange voice and pressed her body up against the door in order to hear what he was saying. When the words reached her ears, chills ran down her spine and her body froze up upon the mere mention of the Dollmaker.

The goons in the room all inched towards Monica's door, exchanging glances with each other as the clown remained silent and still.

"The Dollmaker always gets what he wants," he added, cackle after cackle leaving his lips.

The Joker felt his lip twitch before he lunged at the man on the floor and heaved him up.

His clenched fist made contact with the gunman's face monstrously moments before a sickening crack reached his goons' ears. The man stumbled and leaned up against a wall before the clown lunged at him again, lifted him up by his collar and slammed him down onto the coffee table in the center of the living room.

Monica stepped back when she heard splintering wood and jumped when a loud thud came from her door.

"Oh I-I thought you were the one with the humor, why aren't you laughing?" the gunman questioned through mouthfuls of blood as the clown growled and slammed his head up against Monica's door once more. A small crack had been made due to his head connecting with the wood numerous times and wood splinters had made their way into his open wounds.

The Joker released the man and smiled when he saw the trail of blood that he had smeared on the white door. He stepped over the man's body and headed towards the kitchen while he cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. His goons dived out of his way and made sure to keep their distance as they stared in shock at the man that was trying to head towards the door.

"Ah-ta-ta-ta, leaving so soon?" the clown questioned, emerging from the dark kitchen with a bottle of wine in his hand, "and here I thought we were going to celebrate!"

Grumpy's eye twitched when he heard his boss' high pitch cackle as he stepped on the back of the man's knee and applied pressure. Another crack reached their ears as the gunman howled in pain and watched as his bone became visible due to the angle that the clown had twisted it in.

"Shall we even things up?" the Joker asked, waiting for the man to answer.

All he got were curses and choked replies.

"I'll think of that as a yes," the clown replied merily, placing his full weight on the back of the unharmed knee. With a full Cheshire grin on his face, the clown twisted his body and managed to snap the other knee.

"You fucking freak," the man growled, groaning when he felt the clown step down from his broken knee.

The Joker turned to look at him sharply when he heard this and crouched down before he flipped the gunman over onto his back and patted his cheek with a concerned look on his face.

"Freak?" the clown murmured, dragging the word out as the hand that clenched the bottle tightened its grip considerably.

Before the man could say anything else the clown swung the bottle at his face and grinned maniacally when he heard bones shattering and blood sprayed onto his face.

He grabbed the man's collar with one hand and began to bash his face in with the wine bottle in the other.

Happy closed his eyes when he saw this and tried to hold back the urge to empty his stomach as desperate chokes filled his ears. Grumpy's face had lost all color as he continued to watch and stepped away from the door.

Monica fearfully looked through the small crack in the door and regreted it immediatly when she saw the clown drop the wine bottle to examine his work. The face of the man beneath him was hardly recognizable as human anymore. Much to her horror the gunman was still breathing, his chest rose up and down slowly.

Her hand found its way over her chest as she stepped away from the door and sat on the bed in pure shock.

"Try to stay alive," the clown whispered into the gunman's ear, his blade pressing into the man's mutilated face wounds, "and tell the good doctor that when he goes after my squeeze, he goes after me."

With that, the clown clicked his tounge and used the man's chest as support as he stood up once more and straightened his bloodied jacket. He put his knife away into one of his numerous pockets and turned to look at Blade who was still gripping the pillar that divided the kitchen and the dining room with pale hands.

"Drop him outisde of the opera house," the clown ordered, "and dont come back until they find him."

The Joker had a feeling that the Dollmaker had a taste for theatrics, no doubt the man had probably made the opera house in Gotham into his hideout for the time being.

As soon as the words left his mouth all of his goons scrambled towards the door, happy to leave the clown to his own devices for the time being. Chuckles and Happy carried the man out of the apartment, leaving blood all over the place as Blade opened the door for them and the rest of the goons rushed outside.

Grumpy glanced back worriedly when he noticed the clown glancing at Monica's door but had to leave when he felt Blade tugging at his jacket. If the younger goon was willing to leave the clown's side at the moment then he wasnt going to risk his life and stay. He was no good to Monica dead.

As soon as she heard the front door open and close, Monica's head snapped towards the shattered door that stood between her and the clown. Her heart began to beat faster than usual when she saw the doorknob being turned and her breath hitched when she saw the Joker step through the doorway with a grin on his face.

Her body refused her command to bolt out of the room and run for her life. Instead she merely sat on her bed and flinched when the clown passed by and ignored her compleatly. She heard the bathroom door open and close moments before the shower was turned on and steam escaped through the bottom of the door.

Her bottom lip quivered with fear as her eyes refused to leave the blood stains that she could see in her living room. There where several on the walls, furniture, floors, and even the kitchen counters.

She could only guess what had happened to the poor man that worked for the Dollmaker or what he had said to set the clown off.

"Doll, instead of just sitting there staring at the walls could you do me a favor and stitch me up?" the clown's voice asked, shaking her from her thoughts. Monica's hesitant eyes turned to look at the man next to her and without saying a word she merely nodded and moved over to make space for him.

He had probably reopened his wounds with all of the effort he had made from throwing the gunman from wall to wall.

Her shaking hands reached for one of his own as she looked up at his face briefly and registered the fresh grease pain caked onto his face messily.

She worked as fast as she could, never taking her eyes off of the large gash. She had a feeling that he wasnt too fond of needles, if she made a wrong move she would probably end up like the man in the living room before she could even blink.

Occupying herself with his forearm, her hands worked over his open wound with care, tugging on the black thread as carefully as she possibly could when she was done and cutting it between her teeth. She then proceeded to wrap some gauze around the gash and backed away when she was done.

The Joker merely observed the expressions that she made the whole time. His eyes never left her figure, despite the fact that he could tell that he was unnerving her. When she was done he noticed that her door had been damaged by his brief moment of rage, she had probably seen everything.

"Enjoy the show?" he questioned, motioning towards the door with his head as she glanced up at him and then at the once white door. He recieved nothing but silence which irked him and made his smile turn into a slight frown.

She rose from the bed quickly as he put on his gloves slowly and headed towards the living room, finding his presence disturbing.

"Doll, you're wasting your time," the clown called after her, seeing her reach for some paper towels and wipe the blood from the walls with a pitiful expression on her face.

Even then, she didnt answer him.

Her body worked on its own, wiping back and forth trying to get rid of the red that surrounded her.

When she noticed that her effort was in vain, she collapsed and slid down the wall with tears streaming down her face. Her panicked eyes scanned the bloodied towels all around her and closed when she was unable to handle it.

She pulled up her legs to her chest and dropped her head before she let go and cried silently for what seemed hours.

She didnt even know what she was crying for, her life had been on a downward spiral ever since she had crossed paths with the madman. Since they had met, she had already killed several people, threatened more than she could count, acquired new scars and witnessed more than she wanted to.

It wasnt supposed to bother her like that, not after everything she had been through with him.

The mere thought of having him lose control like that with her horrified her.

She didnt hold any sway with him and she never had. He was merely a time bomb ready to go off the moment she seized to amuse him.

She just needed time to herself, to be able to cry without having anyone there to judge her.

To cry over everything that had happened to her and what she had brought upon herself.

The Joker merley tilted his head at her sudden break down and glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside him. With a sigh, he rose from the bed, grabbed a black silk sheet and made his way over to the kitchen.

He picked up the bloodied wine bottle in front of Monica, opened it and poured some into a glass before he dropped the sheet over her shoudlers and headed over to her room once more.

Upon noticing that the sun was close to rising he left the door to her room partially open and downed the wine in a single sip before lying back down on the bed.

An irritated sigh left his lips as he turned over onto his stomach and used a pillow to cover his head and drown out her soft cries.

He'd get back at the Dollmaker soon enough.

He'd make the man wish he was never even born for everything he had done.

** Review! We're almost at 800! Shout out to all of my reviewers, you have no idea how much I love you all, electronic cookies for you all! **


	58. Payback's a Bitch

**Payback's a Bitch**

**A/N: Here's a new chapter my dears, I'll make sure to update more often since Im off from school and free every morning. There'll be more blood, gore, and violence in the next chapter for all of you sadists out there. With that said enjoy!**

"Monica, are you in there," Lila's voice called, followed by sharp knocks at the door. Monica's eyes opened slowly as the noise stirred her from her sleep. She glanced at her bedroom door to make sure that the clown hadn't stirred and rose from the couch where she had fallen asleep the night before.

Stretching while she walked, she reached the door and opened it slightly, not wishing to let the other woman see the mess that her apartment was in.

"Thank god, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Lila exclaimed, her hair drenched while her clothes dripped with water. Monica's eyes traveled down when a sudden movement from the other woman's leg caught her attention.

"Fraulein!" Kiri exclaimed, launching herself into Monica's arms. The biker struggled to catch the child and keep the door partially closed. She could hear the sheets from her bed ruffling, if they made any more noise the Joker would no doubt interrupt their little reunion and make things worse.

"Easy, liebe," Monica whispered, holding back a hiss of pain when the small child hugged her waist and irritated the wounds that lay wrapped beneath her shirt.

"Can we come in, just for a few minutes?" Lila asked, peeking over Monica's shoulder when the biker stepped back slightly. Monica didn't want to let them in and see the blood splattered walls. How was she supposed to explain the fact that she housed the psychopathic clown that had stolen their car and left them on the side of the curb?

She was about to deny the other woman's request when her eyes suddenly landed on Lila's stomach. Monica's face paled considerably when she realized that her brother's wife was pregnant.

"Oh god," Monica whispered, placing a hand over her forehead in disbelief.

Lila merely stared back at her grimly.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go, two of your men are outside, they were going to take me back to the clubhouse but it started pouring," Lila explained, looking down.

Monica stepped out of the way and allowed them in with a look of regret on her face.

"Sorry for the mess, Lucifer had to take care of a few issues," Monica lied, blaming the blood and disorder on her second in command. Lila nodded in understanding, it wasn't odd when the bikers had to take care of someone personally.

Kiri's frightened eyes darted around the small apartment with fear before she settled down next to Monica on the semi-splattered couch. Lila supported herself and sat down across from the pair with difficulty before a deep sigh left her lips.

"I'll be right back," Monica murmured, rising from the couch. She headed towards her room and closed the door. Once she was inside she headed over to her closet quietly. Her hands grabbed the warmest sweater that she had and a blanket for Kiri before her attention was brought back onto the clown.

"Visitors, I see," his sleep induced voice chuckled. Monica panicked when she saw him glance at the door with curiosity through half lidded eyes.

"Stay in here, please," she begged, closing her closet door as she paused to make sure that he wasn't planning on leaving the room.

"Leave the door open," he ordered, turning away from her. Monica sighed in relief when she saw him bury his face into her pillow once more. Moments later she headed towards the door and left it partially open before handing Lila the sweater and Kiri the blanket.

"How far along are you?" Monica asked, glancing at Lila with worried eyes.

"7 months," Lila replied, flipping her blond hair back and tying it into a ponytail before she shed her soaked shirt and pulled on the dry sweater.

Kiri merely shivered beside Monica with the blanket wrapped around her small frame tightly.

"Fraulein, why cant we stay here?" Kiri asked, resting her head on Monica's arm.

"Because, my little burrito," Monica replied, making fun of the way that she looked in the blanket, "its not safe here."

Kiri cracked a toothy smile when she heard her reply and nodded in understanding.

They stayed like that for hours, talking about things that had happened. It wasn't until the storm calmed that her two men knocked on the door in order to retrieve Lila and Kiri.

Monica walked with the pair towards the door and gave her men instructions to drive straight to the clubhouse.

"Keep this close," Monica whispered to Lila, slipping a Beretta into her hand bag. The blond turned to look at the biker gratefully and nodded before she stepped out and took the arm of one of the men that waited for her.

Monica watched as the pair made their way carefully down the hall, Lila's hand never leaving the top of her stomach.

"Fraulein, when are you going to have a baby?" Kiri asked, placing a small hand on Monica's flat stomach.

The remaining biker that had stayed behind to retrieve Kiri glanced up at his boss when her expression changed drastically.

"Whenever Im ready, liebe," Monica replied, hiding the pained expression on her face from the child in front of her, she then crouched so that she was face to face with her niece, "take care of your mother, alright?"

"I will, Frau," Kiri replied, wrapping her arms around Monica's neck. The brunette hugged the child in her arms tightly before she handed her off to the biker that was waiting for her.

"Don't stop for anything," Monica warned him, watching them as they too made their way down the hall.

With one last nod from her man and a final goodbye from Kiri, Monica closed the door and sighed for the nineteenth time that night. She headed over to the kitchen and stared blankly at the cabinets for a few seconds, her hands gripping the counters tightly.

The clown observed her form the doorway and took note of the white shade that her knuckles were taking. He had been up the whole time, listening in on their conversation.

Monica's hand traveled up to her stomach and stayed there for a few moments as her shoulders slumped slightly. The Joker's brow furrowed when he saw this, he opted on staying silent instead of interrupting her.

When she turned and saw him standing there her hand immediately dropped and her expression changed to one of shock.

"Hungry, doll?" the Joker teased, knowing that wasn't the reason she had been standing like that in the kitchen.

"Im not talking with you," she snapped, turning away from him. She had planned on going out anyway in order to give herself some space between them.

"Oh, and here I was hoping you'd take me on a joyride tonight," he replied, walking over to her. Monica ignored him even when she could feel him right behind her.

"I don't feel like it, clown," she growled, daring him to lay a hand on her.

"Ah, we're back to 'clown', what is it, the scars?" he asked, pinning her to the counter with his arms. Monica glanced back at his trademark smile and sneered.

"The bloodied apartment?" he continued, pushing her buttons. Monica resisted the urge to elbow him in the chest as she tried to get away from him.

"The Dollmaker?" The Joker questioned, earning himself what she had been trying to avoid. She pulled back her arm and dug her elbow into his stomach harshly. He doubled over, laughing at her attempt to get rid of him while gasping for air.

"We have a winner!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands mockingly. Monica turned to look at him with hate apparent in her eyes.

"What do you want?" she snapped, hoping to get rid of him soon. She didnt feel like putting up with his antics, not tonight.

"Like I said before, a simple, uh, ride," he replied, smiling from ear to ear as she glared at him hoping he'd catch fire or melt where he stood.

Monica merely started to walk away from him to get her keys, feeling his eyes burn holes into her back.

She completely left him behind, not waiting for him to catch up as she headed down the stairs at a quick pace, Her mind was running wild with other thoughts, the last thing she needed was to worry over him.

"Get on already," Monica hissed impatiently, swinging one leg over her bike as she revved it up. The clown merely stared at her before he got on behind her and cracked his neck knowing that it annoyed her to no end.

She glanced back at him when she heard him going through his pockets only to find him staring at her expectantly with a small machine gun in his hand.

"Let's go, beautiful," he laughed, waiting for her to turn back around. Monica merely shook her head at him and kicked up the support before she drove away. She followed his instructions, missing a few turns here and there on purpose just to get back at him for everything he had put her through.

"You were trying to kill me, weren't you," he commented, when they reached their destination. Monica shifted uncomfortably when she felt his arm still wrapped around her waist.

"That was the plan," she replied, knowing it was yet another lie.

"Good girl," he chuckled, patting her stomach with his hand before he dismounted the bike and headed towards the Ice Berg Lounge. Monica merely stared after him and the peculiar way that he swung the gun in his hand back and forth in order to catch the attention of the guards near the entrance.

Upon having both of their guns on him she saw Happy and Chuckles take them out from behind before Grumpy appeared and unlocked the door to the entrance. Her brow furrowed when she saw this, it was obvious that the clown had planned everything.

But what did he want from the Penguin?

Minutes after she saw the trio of goons disappear inside along with the clown gunshots reached her ears causing her to turn towards the entrance once more. A sea of people rushed outside trying to get away from the line of fire as bullets sprayed everywhere.

Monica squinted through the crowd and saw the clown making a mad dash towards her while he cackled mockingly at someone behind him. She could see the Penguin's men running after him, firing blind shots hoping to hit him out of pure luck.

"Time to go," he ordered, gripping her waist tightly as Monica merely drove away and tried to concentrate on the road despite the shots that were being fired at them.

"What did you do?" Monica yelled back above the roar of the motorcycle as the clown shook his head in amusement and motioned towards a black van that pulled up beside them.

"Bloody clown, I'll make ya' pay, ya' hear?" the Penguin's voice shouted from within as the passenger's window was lowered and Grumpy grinned back at her.

Monica's face paled when she realized what the Joker had done.

"You kidnapped the Penguin?" she screamed, horrified at what he had done. They would have half of Gotham breathing down their necks if they didn't get away fast enough.

She ducked when a bullet took out her side mirror and glanced back when she noticed that three other vans were following them. The Joker smiled at them and pulled out his machine gun before he let lose a stream of bullets. He took out one of the vans and threw the empty gun at the remaining two before he turned to look at Grumpy.

Monica's jaw dropped open in horror when the goon tossed him a shotgun and reached back to grab another weapon. Monica could feel the Joker's grip tighten as he twisted his body to look back at the remaining vans.

She could feel the recoil of the weapon through his body every time he let loose a shot.

After it was emptied, he tossed the shotgun away with a frustrated growl and motioned for Grumpy to toss him the next thing.

"Are you crazy, you'll throw off our balance!" Monica yelled back at him when she saw him catch a rocket launcher.

He swung the weapon over his shoulder and aimed crudely at the van that was furthest away before he pulled the trigger. Monica had little to no time to grip the handles and make sure that they didn't go down. After a few swerves she managed to get the bike back under control only to realize that he was digging through his pockets for a grenade.

Through the remaining mirror that she had she managed to catch a brief glimpse of the van going up in flames as the rocket hit it directly.

"Light em' up, doll," the clown laughed, pulling the pin on the lone grenade that he found before he dropped it on Monica's lap. The biker panicked, picked up the timed explosive and threw it back without even looking. The clown turned to see the van drive right above it moments before it blew it sky high.

"We'll take care of the rest!" Happy shouted, opening the side door as he threw another machine gun at the clown. The Joker nodded and caught the weapon before they parted ways. Monica could see as several more vans followed after the clown's goons and two more remained on their tail.

"Got anymore of those things in there?" Monica replied, hoping that the clown had some sort of plan in order to get out of their current predicament.

"Nope," he replied, making the 'p' pop with amusement clear in his expression.

"We're going down then," Monica replied, realizing that there was no other way out. The bullets were getting closer and closer to them. She felt several whiz by her head and saw her other mirror shatter with the force of bullet going through it.

No sooner had she finished talking, she felt them hit her back tire. She turned the bike onto its side and skid for as long as she possibly could.

She felt the clown pull her off of the bike and hissed when they both hit the ground. The Joker let her go once they stopped moving and picked his head up to look at the oncoming cars. He had gone too long without a chase like that, he felt alive again despite the pain that his body was in. It even topped off his scraps with the Bat, there was nothing like falling off of a motorcylcle at full speed.

"Get up," he groaned, jabbing Monica's side as she placed both of her hands on the black gravel and tired to pick herself up. She could hear screeching tires all around them. Her eyes glanced sideways at the clown who remained on his back and then at the vans that surrounded them with a panicked expression.

"We're screwed, arent we?" she whispered, a smile creeping up her lips.

"I always have an ace up my sleeve, doll," The Joker replied, flipping himself over as another set of tires screeched behind them.

"Come on, get in!" Blade yelled as Chuckles backed up a black pick up truck and stopped inches away from the downed pair. Blade reached down from the back of the truck and pulled the clown up with a sigh before he reached for Monica who looked around for her bike.

The Penguin's goons paused when they realized that they no longer had the advantage and ran back to their vans when they saw that the pair was going to get away.

"You bastards!" she yelled, picking up the gun that the Joker had discarded as she stumbled back and let loose the last shots.

"Come on, beautiful," the Joker laughed, reaching for her and pulling her back into the bed of the pick up truck.

"They fucked up my bike!" Monica yelled, looking at the wreck of her motorcycle while she shot blindly at the two remaining vans.

"Drive, Chuckles, drive!" Blade yelled through the small window, hitting the roof of the car as the other goon nodded and stepped on the gas. The three in the back lurched forward and the gun in Monica's hands was discarded onto the road just like her bike.

"What else do you have in here?" she asked, turning to look at the Joker with demanding eyes. He leaned back while she crawled over to him in pain and started to go through his pockets. Blade's eyes widened when he saw how calm the clown was in respect to being searched by the biker.

"I suppose you just forgot these were in here," she snapped, grabbing the two lone grenades as she turned towards the two vans that were still following them and pulled the pins.

She threw them at their pursuers with fury in her eyes as she watched and waited for them to go off. When they finally did she sat back, laughing with glee as flames rose up behind them in the background.

"Remind me to never mess with her bike," Chuckles called back, his eye twitching when he saw the damage that she could do. Blade merely shook his head at the beaten up pair and climbed in to the passenger's seat through the small window without saying a word.

"And you have the nerve to say I'm brutal, beautiful," the clown commented, holding his bruised side. Monica glanced at him and sat beside him while she tried to catch her breath. He had a point, she had no right to hold his actions against him when she was just as bad as he was.

"We're even, I suppose," she replied, dropping her head back against the window that Blade had just closed, "and you owe me a bike."

"I owe you alot of things," he replied, laughing as he shook his head.

Everything had gone according to plan, they had the Penguin and he had made it out with little to no damage.

"I want my motorcycle, though," she replied, dropping her head against his shoulder as her hair whipped around in the wind. The clown glanced sideways at her and shook his head.

"I'll buy you a jet," replied, grimacing when he pressed his side gingerly. He probably had a fractured rib, he had taken the worst of the fall for both of them.

Monica felt herself smile at his reply and merely relaxed her body. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and the pain from the fall was starting to surface slowly.

By the time they reached the apartment she was the first to get off of the truck with a sneer on her face moments before the clown jumped off of the back beside her.

"Take him up and make sure he behaves," the clown ordered, turning towards the black van that pulled up beside them. Grumpy nodded in reply and headed towards the back to unload the Penguin.

It took three of them to get the kicking and screaming man out of the van and onto the pavement.

Monica merely rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs followed by the goons while the clown trailed near the back. She glanced back only once to catch him whispering something into Blade's ear before he smiled up at her and headed inside.

She opened the door and held it for the trio of goons who crashed into the apartment with the thrashing Penguin in their grip.

"So what did you need him for?" Monica asked, walking into her room as the clown followed and kicked the door shut behind him.

"I killed the other one before he could tell me where the Doc was," the Joker replied, running his tongue over his bottom lip when he recalled the gunman that he had killed. His knuckles ached at the mere memory of beating the man half to death. The Dollmaker had found him outside of the opera house and moved his location shortly after that.

Monica's glare reached his eyes and in a second he realized his mistake. He had reminded her of something that she was trying to forget.

"Im going out, have Hap clean the mess up before I get back," she commented, grabbing her jacket. She headed towards the door but stopped when the clown held her back.

"You don't have a bike," he reminded her, shaking his finger in her face as she smiled at him and nodded in agreement.

"I don't need a bike, I have Grumpy," she replied, shaking free of his hold. The clown opened his mouth to make another point but stopped when she pulled him down by his tie and paused inches from his face.

Before she could say anything else he leaned in and kissed her messily.

Monica pulled away and placed stray kisses along the scar on the left side of his cheek. She could already feel the red and white makeup smearing her face which calmed her to a certain extent.

"Not tonight," she whispered, biting his ear while one of her hands trailed up the side of his chest and clawed into his ribs. She hadnt forgotten what he had put her through and she wouldnt any time soon.

The clown's face contorted into one of pure agony and his mouth opened to voice his pain but no sound came out.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" she chuckled, pulling back as she stared at him intently. She could tell that he had stopped breathing ever since she had applied pressure onto his ribs.

The clown's body refused to move, the more she pressed the more pain shot up his spine.

"Feel better," she added, kissing the tip of his nose while she patted his side.

A heavy and labored breath escaped through his lips when she finally released him and turned towards the door.

He shook his head at her and bit his bottom lip as she opened the door, waved goodbye, and slammed it shut behind her.

He'd get back at her soon.

He always had the last laugh.

** Review! Let's see old an new faces, my dears. The longer the reviews the better. The more you post the faster I'll update so it's all up to you! Let me know what you think so far!**


	59. Everything Burns

**Everything Burns**

**A/N: It's been forever, I know but I had writers block and had to rewrite this one over four times because I wasn't satisfied with it, I finally got around to this version and liked it enough to update! Sorry for the long wait my dears! Here it is, enjoy! Oh and on a sidenote to you all, in honor of (hopefully) the 800th review and soon to be 60th chapter I'd like to give you all a chance to pick what you want to see in the next chapter. Just drop a suggestion into the review section and I'll read through them, whatever shows up the most is what I'll end up going with! With that said, enjoy once more! **

The Penguin glared up at the clown that kept circling him, knife in hand. The criminal felt a twinge of fear for his life, the madman was unpredictable and without Monica there to control him there was no guarantee that he would make it out alive.

"What do ya' want?" Cobblepot spat, lunging at the clown who merely stared down at him with disinterest. The Penguin felt his panic rise by the moment, the Joker was being uncharacteristically quiet and reserved.

The clown's brown eyes never left the other's pale blue orbs. He wanted to make a point for all of Gotham's criminals.

"Where is the doctor?" the clown growled, tilting his head while leaning towards the other man. Cobblepot drew back immediately, he knew all too well what the clown's posture indicated. He wasn't about to cross the Dollmaker either, though.

"Somewhere where you can't find him, clown," the Penguin replied. He could see over the Joker's shoulder as his goons all shook their heads at his response.

"He can't hide from me," the Joker replied, backing away instantly. The Penguin drew a sigh of relief moments before the clown's blade ran straight through his hand. He choked out a curse as he tried to move his hand from the chair that it had been strapped into. It was no use, the blade had gone straight through and planted itself into the wood.

"One more time, where is he?" the clown asked, standing in front of him with an imposing stature.

"I don't know," Cobblepot lied through grit teeth. The smile that spread across the Joker's face, however, made him second guess his answer.

"I'll just have to help you remember then," the clown replied, patting the other man's shoulder. Happy merely looked down when the clown glanced briefly at the front door and then back at the Penguin.

Chuckles merely grimaced when the Joker started to break the Penguin's fingers slowly.

The screams that came from the criminal would have been loud enough to alert anyone within a one mile radius of what was happening.

The Joker merely moved onto his other hand and proceeded on snapping each of his fingers upwards at an agonizingly slow rate. After he was done he backed away slightly to examine his work and glanced up when he heard the front door open.

Monica stepped through with Grumpy trailing close behind before stopping altogether when she saw what was going on. The Penguin turned to look at her, his gaze hopeful.

"We brought donuts," Monica commented, nonchalantly. She walked beside the Penguin and ignored him completely as she set down the pink box on the coffee table.

The Joker grinned proudly at her as she stretched out on a nearby couch and used Grumpy's leg as a pillow on which to rest her head upon. She paid little to no attention to the current torture session that was going on in her living room.

"You little bitch!" Cobblepot snarled, struggling against his restraints. Monica glanced up at him when she heard this and then at the clown who remained still. "I'll put out the word with the Germans, you'll be dead before you know what hit you!"

Upon hearing this, she froze and turned her worried gaze towards the Joker who had glanced back at her only once.

"What makes you so sure you'll live to put the word out?" the clown replied, his eyes gleaming mockingly. The Penguin felt his heart race rapidly, he had forgotten that she had become the clown's favorite over the past couple of months.

The Joker nodded to Blade who reached for something over the kitchen counter. Monica felt her eyes go wide when she saw the young goon pull out a can of gasoline. He threw it over to the clown who caught it and beamed down at the criminal before him.

"Is your memory still clouded?" the clown asked, unscrewing the cap slowly. Monica stood up from the couch and stared at him worriedly. He wouldn't dare, would he?

"I don't know where he is!" Cobblepot replied, shaking his head furiously. He kept glancing over the clown's shoulder towards Monica, hoping she would stop him.

"I was hoping you'd say that," the clown replied, pouring the gasoline over him with a Cheshire grin on his face. Upon feeling the cold liquid drench his clothes, the Penguin started to panic once more. It was clear that he wasn't going to make it out of the apartment alive if he didn't rat out the Dollmaker. He had probably made the entire situation worse by threatening Monica in front of the clown.

"Wait, he's with the Aryans! Down by the docks!" Cobblepot blurted out upon seeing the clown motion for the cigarette that Happy had between his lips. The clown paused and turned to look at him when he heard what the other man had just said.

Monica felt shivers run up and down her spine, having the Dollmaker working with the Germans was a deadly combination that was going to spill disaster for her.

"We're taking a field trip then," the Joker commented, clasping his hands together. He nodded to Happy and Chuckles before he walked over to Monica and pulled her up from the couch. She watched as they undid the rope that had tied the Penguin down and led him towards the door.

She was shocked when they led him down the hall and she was pushed after him by the clown. It was clear that he wanted her to go to, she could only wonder why. She glanced back to see Grumpy giving her a reassuring glance as he closed the door behind him and followed the rest of the goons towards the trucks outside.

Monica started towards one of the Escalades only to get picked up by the Joker and placed on the back of the black pickup truck. She turned to look at him only to find him climbing in after her with Blade and the Penguin.

She found herself being pulled back between his legs as Blade held the Penguin at a safe distance from them. Her head settled against his chest as she felt the truck pull away and drive down to the docks. Her body remained still the whole time, feeling his steady breathing and the occasional heart beat when she turned her head to the side and pressed her ear up against his chest.

The Penguin glared at her the entire time, safe with the clown's arms draped around her form. With Gotham in the state that it was, being with him was her best bet to stay alive.

"It's here," the Penguin growled, shoving Blade away slightly to point to a nearby warehouse. The Joker's eyes scanned the area intently before nodding. Blade shoved the Penguin off of the pickup truck and reached back to grab a bow and arrow.

"I'll tell ya' what, if you make it inside before he shoots you I'll let ya' live," the clown offered, leaning forward as he smelled Monica's hair. She glanced back only once and then at Blade who was readying an arrow.

"You're mad," the Penguin laughed nervously, watching as the goon cracked his neck and tested the string on his bow.

"You better run," the clown laughed, pulling out a lighter from the inside of his coat. Monica looked at him nervously when she realized that Blade was wrapping some cloth around the tip of the arrow and dousing it with gasoline.

The Penguin spun around and started to wobble towards the safety of the warehouse. Monica could feel her heart rate quicken for the man, she could only imagine what was going through his mind.

The Joker merely stared after him madly before her turned to Blade and nodded.

Monica gasped in fear when she saw him click the lighter open and light the tip of the arrow. She remembered that the Penguin was still drenched in gasoline and panicked when she realized that Blade was already pulling back the arrow.

"You gave him a chance, didn't you?" she asked, looking back at the clown. His gaze never left the Penguin's retreating form despite her demanding gaze.

"Blade never misses," Grumpy commented from within the pickup truck when he heard her question.

"Everything burns," the Joker growled, his eyes gleaming dangerously as Blade let loose the flaming arrow. Monica's horrified eyes followed the small flame as it traveled down the dock and hit the criminal straight though his back. Within moments he was consumed in flames.

A gasp left her lips as she saw his flailing arms and heard his pained screams. She had hated the man but no one deserved death in such a fashion. Tears of horror clouded her vision as Blade eased the outstretched arm that he had held up and jumped down from the back of the truck.

He opened the door to the passenger's seat and settled within as Monica continued to stare at the scene before her eyes.

Her attention shifted onto the warehouse when she saw the doors slide open and several men rushed out. The ones towards the back were the ones that caught her attention and made her sink back into the clown's arms.

The Dollmaker stood under a single light, Harley's face covering his own. Even from this distance she could tell that the skin was starting to decay, he was going to need a replacement soon.

The other who stood next to him, however, made her skin run cold.

"Goeth," she whispered, recognizing the German instantly. Victoria stood beside him, clinging onto his arm while staring straight at her with an unnerving grin.

By then the Penguin was merely a burning mass before them, illuminating the rest of the men that emerged from the warehouse and started towards them with guns in their hands.

"We shouldn't have done that," she whispered as they pulled away, refusing to let her gaze drop from the three figures in the distance. Tears fell down her face as she recalled what her family had been put through due to the man that she had gone years without seeing.

"They needed to be taught a lesson," the clown replied, running his tongue over his bottom lip. Monica glanced back at him with a look of doubt in her eyes. She had been sure that he could keep her out of harm's way when it came to the Dollmaker but now with Goeth and Victoria in the mix she was starting to doubt his ability to keep her safe.

"He's going to kill me," she choked, feeling her blood run cold. Her body felt paralyzed in his hold, unable to even breathe as her mind ran countless images of the German's through her head.

"No one is going to kill ya' before me, beautiful," he whispered in her ear, glancing at the empty road that they were on. He knew what he was getting himself into when he killed the Penguin and truth be told he was waiting for the backlash of his actions with anticipation.

Monica felt little to no comfort when she heard him. She knew what the Aryans were capable of and she didn't want to land in their hands again. She would rather die by her own hand than wait for them to find her.

"You said that to Harley," Monica replied, pulling away from him. The Joker merely stared at her back and crossed his arms over his chest. Harley had gotten what she had asked for, jumping from criminal to criminal.

"Don't compare yourself to Quinn," the clown replied, sneering when he remembered the harlequin.

Monica scoffed at his reply, she knew him well enough by now to know that he didn't mean anything that he said.

"You said it yourself, I'm not Quinn," she replied, shrugging his hand off of her arm, "and I never will be."

She knew what she was playing at with him. There would never be anything else but a need for one another between them and she was content with that fact.

It did bother her occasionally that she knew next to nothing about him, she didn't even know his real name. She didn't know where he had gotten his infamous scars and she probably never would.

She wasn't naïve like Harley, she knew that he would never tell her anything because she meant nothing to him. His world would keep on spinning with or without her there.

"Stop the truck," she snarled, hitting the window between her and Grumpy who was currently driving. The goon slammed on the breaks without second thought and glanced back to see what had caused her sudden outburst. The clown released her, watching as she jumped off of the truck and landed in a painful crouch.

"Get back in the truck," the Joker called after her, watching as she glared defiantly at him before turning and heading down the road. The clown sighed and got up with a grunt before he jumped off of the back and walked after her. He motioned for his goons to leave, it wouldn't take them long to get back to the apartment if they walked.

Grumpy nodded and drove away slowly, watching the pair through the rearview mirror. He could see Monica shouting at the clown hysterically while waving her arms all over the place. Grumpy merely shook his head and stepped on the gas, they wouldn't be resolving their problems any time soon.

"I'm not Harley, alright!" she screamed, unable to control her anger. She was tired of having him think of her as the harlequin, "whispering sweet nothings into my ear wont fucking work!"

The Joker merely tilted his head at this, he had never expected her to lose her control over something like that.

"I don't know how you got those scars, I don't know your name, I don't know anything about you!" she yelled, unable to retain everything that had been running through her thoughts.

"Beautiful-"

"No!" she screamed, hitting his arm as he tried to touch her. She was tired of him and his way of twisting every word that came out of his mouth, she could never get an answer out of him for anything.

Before she could continue yelling at him any further, however, a small red dot appeared over his chest, focusing in on his heart. She immediately remembered Deadshot and dove forward just as she heard the shot.

They both stumbled into an alley, crashing up against a trashcan which echoed loudly throughtout the empty streets. The Joker pushed Monica off of him and felt his eye twich as he stared at the top of the building from which the shot had been fired. He pulled out his own gun and let loose a couple of shots at the lone figure before it disappeared completely.

Monica glanced at him as he turned to look at her and realized that the bullet had grazed his arm.

"See where all of your shouting leads to?" the clown snarled, holding his bleeding arm. He had a feeling that they were being followed, now he was sure. It wasn't Deadshot, however, he would be dead if it had been the expert marksman.

"I'd fucking sing opera if it meant seeing you feel something, even if its pain," she snapped back, walking away. She knew her way back to her apartment by now, she didn't need him to lead the way.

The clown chuckled at her response and leaned up against a nearby wall as he watched her leave his side. He half expected her to turn around and run to his side in order to help him, when she didn't his smile grew wider.

Good.

He had taught her better.

What she had been shouting at him before he got shot, however, unnerved him to a certain extent. She was starting to ask questions, prodding further into his life. Perhaps now was a good time to get rid of her, he couldnt afford to have her poking her nose in where it didn't belong.

With his mind made up, he slowly followed after her, keeping track of how she slowed her pace so he could catch up.

He needed to do it soon.

After all, he didn't want to give the Dollmaker the pleasure of killing her when he had the opportunity to do it whenever he pleased and with little to no struggle from her.

**Review, leave your suggestions! **


	60. Once Upon a Time

**Once Upon a Time**

**A/N: Took me a long time to update this, I apologize. I meant to upload sooner but I wanted to wait for all of the requests to come in. After reading through your reviews I realized that you all wanted to know more about the clown's past so I tried my best at being original and coming up with his story. Here it is, enjoy! **

* * *

><p>Monica stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body as she opened the door and proceeded to change. Her body was on autopilot as she dried her skin and turned towards her wardrobe.<p>

She hadn't seen the clown in three days.

Combing her hair, she glanced at her plasma and turned on her blue ray player with the push of a button. After slipping on a large t-shirt over herself she laid down on her bed and rose her brow at the movie that she had nearly forgotten about.

The Last Circus by Alex de la Iglesia had always been a favorite of hers.

Slowly but surely the drone of the home theater started to lull her into a deep sleep. Relieved upon finally being able to rest her body failed to register the door being opened loudly.

The Joker stepped through the doorway and turned to look at the screen when he caught sight of two clowns. His intrigued figure stood in front of the plasma, trying to understand the spanish film that was playing still.

After seeing the image of a scarred clown he turned to look at the sleeping figure of the woman behind him. He walked over to her, tilting his head at how unaware she was of the danger that she was in.

All of his goons were out on an errand he had sent them on. Even if she screamed when he killed her there would be no one to help her.

He sat on the empty side of the bed, pulling out his knife as he inched closer to her. She was turned away from him, the glow of the screen illuminating her frame.

With the blade resting on her neck, he tensed his arm and prepared to finish what Harley had started only to have her shift and turn towards him. His whole body tensed and the blade in his hand was drawn back.

The dim lighting coming from the screen landed on her face, illuminating the red makeup that had smeared over her cheek. The clown couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face when he saw that she had picked his pillow despite all of the clean ones that she had around her.

Before he knew it, however, a splitting pain tore through his head. His hand dropped the blade inches away from her sleeping figure and shot up to the headboard in order to keep himself up.

"Seriously, J," a woman's voice echoed through his head, "you have to clean all of your makeup off before you go to sleep!"

Images of a young woman flashed before his eyes.

Blond hair, sapphire eyes, and white makeup flooded his senses.

* * *

><p>"<em>Sorry, darling," the clown replied, leaning forward to kiss the woman apologetically. She scrunched up her nose at him in displeasure but perked up her lips nonetheless as she met his briefly. <em>

_"Look at my face!" she exclaimed as he pulled away with a chuckle. Red grease paint was smeared all over the side of her face. The pillow that had caused her predicament lay discarded beside her. _

_"Jeanie, your on in five!" a voice shouted through the window of the cart that she was in. Her panicked eyes turned accusingly towards the clown beside her who in his own defense merely shrugged. _

_"You allowed me to oversleep?" she asked, outraged at his carelessness. _

_"What can I say, you needed the beauty sleep," he replied, backing away from her when her legs swung over the bed and she sprung up rapidly. _

_"Im not in the mood, J," she snapped back, hitting his arm as she passed by. She couldn't enjoy his humor when she had five minutes to get dressed and apply her makeup. _

_She sat in front of her vanity mirror and furiously applied white grease pain all over her pale complexion. _

_"As if you weren't white enough," the clown behind her commented, leaning over her chair to nuzzle her neck. Jeanie giggled despite herself, she knew he was the only man on earth that she couldn't stay mad at. _

_"Stop it," she laughed, turning to kiss his smooth cheek before pushing him away from her gently. The clown stumbled back exaggeratedly as if she had used an incredible amount of force on him. Jeanie rolled her eyes and turned towards her mirror again to finish touching up her makeup and to remove the white that he had left behind on her neck. _

_When she was done, she rose quickly from her small chair and rushed over to her wardrobe. She pulled on stripped leggings after a moment of difficulty and slipped on a black tutu before she struggled with her corset. _

_The clown moved forward when he saw this and swatted her hands away before taking the silk strings into his own hands. He gently closed the corset around her frame and tied the strings when he was done before nodding his head in approval. _

_"How do I look?" she asked, stepping away from him so he could see her fully. _

_"Beautiful as always, doll," he replied, winking at her. _

_Jeanie felt herself blush despite all of the years of knowing him and his comments. _

_"Are you going to see me tonight?" she asked, reaching for her ballet shoes. _

_"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, fixing his purple vest as she tied her shoes and stood before heading towards the door. _

_"Doll?" he called after her, causing her to pause mid-step as she turned to look at him. Her arms were up as her hands tried to tame her blond hair into a bun. _

_"Yeah, J?" she replied upon seeing him stare at her for what seemed an eternity. _

_"Be careful," he told her, handing her the black umbrella that she always used when she was performing. _

_"Of course, darling," she replied, stepping closer to him before rising on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. She pulled away with a mischievous grin on her face before exiting the traveling car and heading towards the big top. _

_The clown exited after her, walking calmly over to where the main show was currently underway. The bright lights that came from the main tarp illuminated the white, red, and black makeup that he had on from his previous act. _

_"Hey, J, pretty big crowd tonight, eh?" a nearby voice shouted as he turned towards the source and grinned widely. _

_"We've had better nights," the clown replied as the man walked beside him. _

_"Cant tell who brought in the biggest crowd, my Marlena or your Jeanie," he laughed, pulling away the tarp of the main tent as they stepped inside and watched the spectacle before them. _

* * *

><p>The Joker pushed the flashback from his mind, trying his hardest to suppress all of the images that surfaced with them. Monica shifted again when the sounds from the movie grew louder as the climax continued.<p>

Her eyes slowly opened, trying to find the control in order to shut it off. Instead, her hand wrapped around one of the clown's gloved ones before she pulled back in shock and fear. She hadn't even heard him enter the room, how long had he been there?

She then found the knife that he had been holding, a mere inch away from her face. Her horrified eyes trailed up to see his doubled over form beside her, struggling to keep his memories under control.

What had he been about to do?

"Joker?" she asked, placing a hesitant hand on his arm. She could feel him shaking in her hold, unable to handle whatever it was that was that had reduced him to a defenseless state.

"Don't touch me," he snarled warningly, shrugging her hand off as soon as he felt it. Monica sat up, fully awake, and inched closer to him without thinking.

"Are you alright?" she asked, jumping when the room went dark. Her eyes turned to look at the credits of the movie rolling upwards marking the end of the film.

The Joker clenched his eyes shut and leaned forward into the headboard of the bed, unable to suport himself any longer. He didn't want to remember anything, he didn't need to remember. That life was gone, useless, and unimportant to him now.

* * *

><p><em>"Darling, are you alright?" Jeanie asked, sitting behind the clown on the now empty bleachers within the big top. The clown glanced back at her and nodded, he just liked to enjoy the silence after a long day of performing. <em>

_"I have some news for you," she added, massaging his tense shoulders. She didn't know if now was the appropriate time but she had to tell him sooner or later, she wouldn't be able to keep it hidden for long. _

_Upon hearing this, the clown turned to look at her expectantly, urging her to continue. _

_Jeanie bit her bottom lip and paused from running her hands across his shoulders. _

_"Im pregnant," she whispered into his ear, pulling back to see his reaction. The clown tensed, running what he had just heard several times through his head, wondering if he had heard correctly. _

_"What?" he choked, unsure if he had heard wrong. _

_"You're going to be a father!" Jeanie exclaimed happily, wrapping her arms around his neck. _

_Upon hearing this he grabbed her arms and rose from the bleachers, carrying her along as he stepped down onto the main ring. _

_"Are you sure?" he asked, ecstatic as he lowered her down onto the ground and wrapped his arms around he small waist. _

_"Yes, Im sure!" she replied, squealing with laughter as he rose her up and spun her in a circle, laughing with joy. Jeanie felt tears well up in her eyes and moments later after she was back on firm ground she found herself crying with joy. _

_"Does your father know?" he asked, suddenly horrified of what the ringmaster of the circus would think. He owned the whole circus after all. _

_"I wanted to tell you first," she explained, shaking her head and taking his hand into one of her own, "we still have to tell him." _

_With that she pulled him towards the front of the train, her smile wide while he followed behind unsure of what her father's reaction would be. _

* * *

><p>Monica placed her hand on his back once more and started to massage his tense muscles like before. It had worked the last time that she had done it, perhaps it would work again. He didn't make a move to push her away or deny her touch anymore. He was willing to let her do whatever she wanted if if meant stopping the memories that were sure to come after the previous ones.<p>

"Enough," he growled, his head refusing to ease the pain that he was in.

The woman beside him had a knack for triggering his memory.

Another reason to get rid of her as soon as he possibly could.

He just had to ride out the flashbacks that assaulted him for a few more seconds.

* * *

><p><em>"Wonderful news, my boy!" Gabriel, Jeanie's father exclaimed, hugging the clown and picking him up from the ground. Jeanie laughed at her father's reaction and smiled at the clown's hopeless look as Gabriel finally put him down. <em>

_"Thank you, sir," the clown replied, lowering his gaze before the other man. He had a reputation that was hard to forget, especially when he had seen things that he'd rather unsee. _

_"Your mother would be proud," Gabriel commented, hugging his daughter as well. Jeanie merely nodded and stood beside the clown when her father had finally let her go. _

_"We have to go, I'll keep you updated, papa," Jeanie replied, waving goodbye as she pulled the clown away and headed out of the cart. _

_"Be careful with her, boy!" Gabriel called after them. The clown merely nodded back reassuringly, he wouldn't let anyone or anything harm her or their unborn child. _

_Even as he watched her sleep that night he should have guessed that something was off. He should have kept a better eye on her and the new performers that had only been with them a few months. _

* * *

><p>"It'll pass," Monica whispered reassuringly, gasping in surprise when he fell forwards into her arms. She held him close to her chest, surprised that he had fallen so far from his usual self. He was breathing heavily and holding on to her waist in a pathetic attempt to keep himself up.<p>

The biker merely held him and did the only thing she could possibly think of.

Slowly, she started to vocalize softly, trying her best to steady his nerves.

* * *

><p><em>It had been a while since the clown had last seen Jeanie. If she hadn't been pregnant for seven months he would have dismissed her absence and continued on with his day. <em>

_He asked around, hoping one of the performers or workers had seen her. _

_As the minutes dragged on and no news on her whereabouts reached him he began to run around frantically shouting her name. Several other members of the circus began to look for her as well, knowing that she was in no state to wander around by herself. Perhaps she needed help and was unable to call out for anyone. _

_Upon entering one of the side tents, however, the clown received a welcoming punch to the side of his face that sent him reeling several feet back. When he recovered and looked up his face paled when he saw Jeanie strapped to a wooden surface, her mouth taped shut impeding her from calling out for help. _

_His eyes instantly flew up to the man that had just punched him. _

_He felt his face pale when he recognized him immediately, he was the knife thrower that they had picked up a couple of months ago. Rumor had it that he had been kicked out of the previous circus that he had been with, they had never found out why. _

_"Sorry about that, clown," he apologized, twirling the pair of knives in his hands. The clown lunged at him but was held back by two other men who had been watching from behind. _

_"What do you want?" the clown asked, trying to free himself when he saw tears running down Jeanie's face. Her chest rose up and down quickly, he could tell that she was becoming more distressed as time went on. _

_"Your lady had the chance to prevent all of this, Im sorry that it had to go down this way," he replied, grinning while pushing his green hair back with one of his hands. "Now, let's get this over with before they find you." _

_Before the clown knew what was happening, one of the man's blades was forced into his mouth, he could feel the edge of his lips break and bleed upon feeling the tug of the blade. Jeanie's eyes widened and a muffled scream left her mouth when the knife thrower pulled back fiercely and sliced through the clown's cheek. _

_The pair of men that had been holding him released him and proceeded to block the entrance incase they were found early. _

_"She had the nerve to deny me, me of all people, for you!" the knife wielder chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. He crouched beside the groaning clown who held the side of his open and bleeding cheek in agony. His eyes, however, never left Jeanie's horrified form._

_"I'll kill you," the clown moaned, writhing in pain as the knife wielder laughed and placed the other bade over the clown's unharmed cheek. Without saying another word her proceeded on slicing his skin slowly and messily, trying to make it as painful as possible. By the time he was done the other was lying in a pool of his own blood, barely conscious and trying to stay awake for Jeanie's sake. _

_"Look at the funny side, now you'll always be smiling!" the man exclaimed, rising before rolling his shoulders and turning to look at Jeanie. The clown merely looked at the woman he loved, unable to do anything as he felt his eyelids grow heavy due to the blood loss. _

_"Sorry, beautiful," he laughed moments before he hurled a blade at her. _

_The last thing the clown registered before he fell unconscious was seeing the blade pierce her chest. _

_Her head dropped shortly after that and her chest stilled. _

* * *

><p>"Im sorry," the clown growled, hoping to appease the ghosts that haunted his thoughts. He didn't even know what he was sorry for, he just hoped that his head would finally settle and let him be. He tried to concentrate on Monica's voice, hoping her singing would bring him out of his flashbacks.<p>

He clung onto her form with more force than before, hoping that would be enough to bring him back to reality.

* * *

><p><em>"He's coming to," Gabriel's voice whispered, moments before the clown's eyes opened. He instantly looked around for Jeanie but only saw the usual performers. <em>

_"Where is she?" he asked, despite the pain that came from his severed cheeks. He could feel as they burned and the stitches stretched. It didn't matter, all he wanted was to see his wife again. _

_Gabriel shook his head, it became painfully clear by his red eyes that he had been crying for quite some time. The clown fell back upon the hospital bed when he saw this, his world shattering. _

_"The baby?" he asked, his voice no more than a whisper. _

_"We couldn't save either of them," Gabriel replied, gripping his hand. _

* * *

><p>Monica ran a hand through the Joker's hair and held him close to her chest as she felt herself panic upon being unable to help him.<p>

"Come on," she whispered to him, unaware of his hand clenching around the knife behind her back.

* * *

><p><em> The days after the incident passed by in a blur. The clown refused to leave the traveling cart that he had shared with his wife, he no longer accepted any kind of company. <em>

_He resented each and every performer of the circus. _

_They were all useless. _

_Useless. _

_Where were they when she needed them? _

_Where was he? _

_His mind was slowly starting to eat away at his sanity. _

_The guilt was driving him mad. _

_He couldn't stand it anymore. _

_They had never caught up to the man that had killed her and it was only after several days that he had found out that Gabriel had owed the man a huge debt. _

_The bastard was still out there. _

_Free. _

_Unable to stand her absence, he grabbed a couple of cans of grease paint, stuffed them into his coat and set fire to the whole place while everyone slept. He watched as the people that had failed to help her burned and screamed in agony. _

_He slowly started to laugh, watching as they ran for their lives despite their bodies being lit. _

_It grew until he was cackling uncontrollably, his stitches tearing. _

_He didnt care. _

_They were all a joke to him. _

_A terrible joke. _

_That very same night as he sat alone in a hotel room that he had acquired by killing the attendant at the front desk he stitched his 'smile' back up with black thread and dyed his hair green. _

_Once he was done he smeared grease paint onto his face messily, a petty representation of what it had once been. _

_The man he had been was dead. _

* * *

><p>"Joker?" Monica questioned worriedly, pulling back when he stilled completely.<p>

Within the blink of an eye he had her pinned down onto the bed, the blade in his blade pressing into her side. She flinched away from the tip of the knife and stared up at him pleadingly.

She wasn't Jeanie, it was alright if he killed her.

He didn't need her.

"Joker, please," she begged, trying her best to put a distance between herself and the blade. Her frightened eyes stared up at him, trying to convince him to withdraw the weapon.

A small drop of blood ran down his blade from where he had pierced her skin. The ruby droplet caused him to still and pull the knife away.

When she noticed him pause, her hands rose up to his face and caressed the scars on his cheeks gently. His brow furrowed when he felt her touch and his grip on her lightened.

She wasn't Jeanie.

But he needed her.

"Its just me," she whispered, trying to calm him.

The clown resisted the urge to laugh.

Of course it was just her.

It had always been her.

She alone held a control over him that no one else did.

She alone could stop him from killing his goons or anyone for that particular manner.

He released her, knowing she'd probably run for her life now that he had come so close to killing her.

Her hands, however, never left his scars.

She rose slowly and stared at him briefly before placing a kiss on his trademark smile.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't your fault," she whispered to him, pulling away as he turned away from her with a sneer.

He felt his mood go fowl when the front door opened and she left his side.

Monica paused when she reached the door and turned to look at the unstable clown on her bed. Instead of leaving him, like she had planned to, she found her body taking her back to his side. She sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist while she rested her head against his back.

The Joker placed one of his own hands on top of her own, rubbing her smooth skin with his thumb. He stayed with her for several minutes, unsure of why he hadn't just pushed her away before sharp knocks caused him to turn towards the door. Monica released him and shivered when he pulled away from her hold, missing his body heat.

Without turning to look at her he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him, leaving Monica in the dark once more. She turned the tv off and threw the control against a nearby wall, unsure of why she had drawn closer when it was obvious that he had been about to kill her.

Even when all of his goons were gone and he remained outside she refused to go out and see him, much less talk to him.

She was done for the night.

Until he decided to tell her everything she wouldn't pay him any attention.

She deserved that much after everything he had put her through.

** Review! All of those long reviews made my day! Thank you to all of you guys out there, you have no idea of how much you make me smile when I see you've reviewed! **


	61. Forever Yours

**Forever Yours**

**A/N: This chapter took a lot out of me my dears. I hope you enjoy it because I tried my best! XD (my best probably sucks) As for all of my guest reviewers, put a name on it so I can answer back! For the one who accidentaly reviewed three times, you made my day! XD **

**CuteSango07: She manages to keep him sane, but for how long? :D**

**draconiswolfsbane: Two days? You, my dear, are amazing! Im glad that you like it, let me know what you think of this chappie! **

**sweetlittlefox: Im honored to have my story be your first Batman fic! I hope this chapter is to your liking! **

**BobSwag: Well she couldnt just walk out on him when he was sulking because of his dead wife and child XD **

**LaurenvBelladonna: Im going to try to put more flashbacks into the few chapters that are left, I think you guys enjoy them :D**

**stargirl247: Bats will come in later on, dont worry! And I guess he'll just have to find a way to tell her when the time is right. **

**xxxxninaxxxx: Indeed, it was intense. XD**

**Ryuno chu: I was going for that, glad it came through as him being an ass. **

**Mystique-Fran: I think we're all derp and awkward at times XD And nonsense, this is far from a masterpiece but I bow to you for such an amazing review. I hope to hear more from you soon. And dont worry, I love long reviews! **

**YoursAnnie: Im glad you liked it! **

**illuvville: I edited the chapter and added the part about making her bleed a little bit, I have you to thank for that my dear. **

It had been a week since Monica had seen any of the clown's goons. The silence that surrounded the pair was driving her mad. She refused to break it and talk to the Joker, however, she wasn't going to give in so easily.

He currently lay sprawled across the leather sofa, his face covered by a magazine he had grown tired of reading. Her eyes took note of how his chest rose up and down slowly, he was probably sleeping.

With this in mind, Monica made her way towards the front door and picked up the keys to one of the Escalades. She needed to check on her men back at the clubhouse, she wouldn't take long.

As soon as the door closed behind her, the clown threw the magazine off of his face and stretched before rising from the couch. He had been awake the entire time, hearing her move around and utter huffs of agitation periodically.

With her gone, the Joker merely shed his purple jacket and laid it across the back of one of the kitchen chairs. He glanced around the empty apartment, her absence along with the fact that there wasn't a living thing to kill or entertain himself with made his smile drop.

He moved towards her bedroom, shedding his vest as he passed by her bed and discarding it on the headboard.

She hadn't directed a word towards him in days. He hated the fact that she could cope without him so easily.

Upon realizing this, he flung his tie towards the bed as he turned on the shower and set it to the coldest temperature that the lever allowed him to.

As he discarded the rest of his clothes it seemed to dawn on him that she wouldn't pay him any attention unless he gave her what she wanted. He stepped into the shower and watched as the green dye in his hair mixed with the water and disappeared down the drain. The next to follow was his makeup, a muddied mess of red, black, and white cascading down his skin.

He felt strange as he stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His dirty blond hair dripped with green droplets from the remaining dye that he hadn't been able to get out.

His eyes darted to the cans of grease paint near the sink when he dried his face and the fact that it wasn't covered sunk in. He tossed the towel aside and closed the door to the bathroom with a harsh kick.

He had made up his mind.

He was willing to do whatever she wanted in order to earn her attention, he was going mad without hearing her voice or feeling her skin tremble underneath his touch.

A week had passed.

An entire torturous week.

He hadn't been able to kill her when the chance presented itself, he had had plenty of time to ponder his decision. He had come to the conclusion that he would get rid of her when she no longer amused him, just like Harley.

The Joker felt a chuckle leave his lips when the last through ran through his mind.

No.

She wasn't Harley, he had never done anything like what he was about to do for the harlequin.

As he buttoned his vest he walked out of her room and collapsed once more on the couch just as the front door was opened and shut rapidly.

Monica stepped in with a sigh, remembering that the clown was sleeping. She placed the keys of the truck down silently and passed by his figure before a side glance at him made her halt mid-step.

She had failed to see his white facade grinning back at her or his garish green hair being pushed back by his gloved hand.

"You shouldn't hold your breath, doll, Im sure its bad for you," the clown commented, refusing to meet her surprised expression.

Monica exhaled, never realizing that she had forgotten to breathe as she stepped closer to him.

She gasped when she reached out and ran a hand through his blond hair.

Instead of seeing the familiar red grease paint smeared up into a smile her eyes landed on the original Glasgow smile on his now clear skin.

Her heart rate quickened as she reached out to touch his skin but pulled her hand back suddenly.

"W-Why?" she asked, unable to form a complete sentence.

"You wanted the truth," he replied, turning his head towards her. Monica felt her body tense up once more, she was so used to seeing him with his makeup on that without it he looked like a complete stranger to her.

She slowly moved to his side and took a seat next to him on the couch, completely forgetting everything that she still had to get done before the day ended.

Her hands reached out to touch his face, unsure of whether she was allowed to or not.

When her fingers grazed over his trademark scars she tilted her head curiously as she took her time memorizing every curve, bump, and ridge. She knew that this opportunity would surely never present itself to her again so she made sure to memorize how he looked without his makeup.

The dark circles underneath his eyes made her shake her head in disapproval. She had a feeling that he didn't get enough sleep, now she was sure.

The clown merely relaxed in her hold, he had missed her cool fingers over his scars. The fact that she hadn't run from his side when she realized that he didn't have any makeup on him both pleased and disturbed him.

She was supposed to run.

Why didn't she leave his side?

Unable to control himself any further, he pulled her towards him roughly and crashed his lips against hers.

She tumbled on top of him on the couch, her hesitant hand cupped his cheek and reveled in the feel of his skin beneath her palm.

She smiled against his lips when she realized that she was probably the only person in Gotham that had seen the infamous clown price of crime without grease paint caked onto his face.

The clown pulled away when he felt this and stared up at her, his mind running wild with thoughts of the woman straddling his waist.

"What else do you want to know?" he asked, breathing in sharply when her lips placed stray kisses on his scars. The feeling had felt surreal when he had his face covered with grease paint, without it the feeling intensified thousandfold.

Monica noticed this and leaned forward into him, pressing her body up against his.

She would have been lying if she said she hadn't missed him.

"Everything," she replied, nipping at his bottom lip with a mischievous smile on her face.

The Joker writhed underneath her when she did this and sat up, pulling her along with him.

"All in good time," he growled into her ear, rising from the couch as she felt herself being picked up and led into the bedroom.

The clown would have been content with remaining in the living room, there would be no one to interrupt them, but a nagging feeling at the back of his head didn't allow him to remain there.

He nearly snorted in disgust at himself when his mind pointed out that she deserved better.

She wasn't a common whore he could enjoy anytime or anywhere he wanted.

He snarled when he realized this and pinned her arms above her head with one of his own.

"You're being gentle," Monica chuckled, surprised at the force that he was using to hold her down. He usually left brusies in his wake, she could somehow tell that tonight would be different.

"That can be fixed," he chuckled, constricting his hand around her wrists. Monica flinched and tried to free herself from his hold to no avail. Her body arched up into his, wishing for more contact. It drove her mad to have him this close without being able to feel his skin, skin that she would probably never see again once he hid it underneath the grease paint.

"Let me touch you," she whispered pleadingly, out of breath. The Joker's eyes drifted over to her own when he heard this and within moments his hand had released her own. He dismissed the fact that he couldn't deny her anything when he felt one of her hands run through his hair.

He didn't like the look that she was giving him nor the way that she went about with him. It almost seemed as if he was her long lost lover that she had waited to see for years. She was being too gentle, too loving.

Her hands roamed up his chest and neck before she pulled him down and kissed him longingly. While he was caught up with her she managed to flip their roles, enjoying her brief moment of control.

She took a moment to look at him for who he truly was, not the clown that she had grown to know over the past year.

Leaning down, she nipped along his jawline, pausing to hear his sharp breaths. She pulled back slightly and paused as her eyes drifted down onto his neck. Without asking for his permission she dipped her head and kissed the sensitive skin before bitting down on it.

The clown's fingers dug into her waist causing her to moan against him. She tried her best to silence herself and pulled back with a deep shade of red over her cheeks.

She didn't want to sound desperate.

The Joker merely chuckled against her, sitting up when he saw her close her eyes in embarrassment.

He had waited far too long for her to acknowledge and accept him once more.

"Come on, doll," he teased, whispering in her ear as his arms wrapped around her waist. Monica opened her eyes when she felt this and let loose a whimper of pain when she felt the familiar feeling of a blade piercing her skin.

Her eyes glanced down to find the madman holding a blade to her hipbone.

The clown's brow furrowed when he saw tears pool over her eyes, he hadn't meant to cut that deep.

She opened her mouth to protest only to be silenced by the madman.

"You know I'd never hurt you that way, beautiful, " he confessed, his voice sounding strange even to him.

Monica narrowed her eyes at this, there was something wrong with him.

He didn't say things like that normally to her.

Her hands rested on the sides of his face, wondering if the lack of makeup was responsible for his sudden change of character. He seemed calm to her, almost normal.

Almost.

Before she knew it she felt his blade cutting her shirt off slowly.

She allowed him to pin her back down onto the bed and gasped when she felt his lips over her wound.

He stared up at her, hoping to evoke any sort of noise from her as he sucked away at small trickle of blood that had run down her hip.

She bit her tongue refusing to voice her pleasure as her hands wrapped around the silk sheets around her, her knuckles turning white.

The Joker pulled back when he noticed this and shook his head at her attempts to stay silent.

"I want you to scream," he demanded, watching as she bucked her hips when his hand pressed into her wound. The friction that he felt then and there caused him to drop his head and suppress a groan of his own.

"You've been hanging around with Scarecrow too much," she teased, pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside. She hummed with content when she felt his bare skin against her own.

The clown felt his arms grow weak when her hands roamed up and down his chest. His pants were becoming painfully tight, he couldn't take much more of her teasing.

One of his hands raked down her inner thigh, causing her to groan and arch up into him.

"I want you to scream my name," he snarled into her ear, holding her painfully close.

"I don't-" she started, unable to finish her sentence as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support when she felt him pull her closer.

"Jack," the Joker replied, admitting another truth to her. He wanted to hear her voice screaming his name while she was in the throes of ecstasy. He longed to feel her nails piercing and drawing blood from his skin. He longed to claim her as his and his only.

Her eyes stared at him briefly, wide with disbelief.

Had she heard correctly?

"Jack," she hummed, enjoying the way that it rolled off of her tongue.

The mere mention of his name coming from her mouth sent a shiver down his spine.

With that, she lost herself with him.

Her body melted with his touch.

The Joker, on the other hand, completely succumbed to her.

He lost the little control he had over himself.

Even after they were both exhausted, he lay beside her sleeping form, watching as her chest rose up and down slowly.

Her disheveled hair fell over her face as she pulled a pillow close to her chest.

"Jack," she murmured, a small smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

The clown merely rose from the bed and after glancing back at her before entering the bathroom.

He wondered if he had done the right thing by telling her his name, he wondered if it had been a mistake.

Even as he applied the makeup back onto his face his mind refused to let the images of her body writhing in pleasure beneath him dissipate.

A quiet chuckle left his lips as he realized what he had done.

It was a mistake, since the beginning, everything had been a mistake.

But he was willing to do wrong when it came to her, willing to commit mistake after mistake if it meant hearing her scream his name one more time.

** Review! Its the only thing that keeps me going. Man. That was an intense chapter was it not?**


	62. Death of Me

**Death of Me **

**A/N: Been too long, sorry guys! I've had school stress and writer's block so bare with me for this chapter, I tried my best for all of my reviewers! I love you guys, I promise I'll reply in the next update, Im just exhausted today. Enjoy!**

Monica jumped when her phone went off next to her and after glancing at the clock on the stand beside her she felt her heart skip a beat. Her eyes shot towards the her bedroom door where the clown was currently sleeping before she answered and leaned up against the front door.

"Get out of the apartment," Grumpy's voice snapped, catching Monica off guard.

"What-"

"Get out, he's coming for you," the goon urged, gunfire in the background.

Monica paused when she heard footfalls in the hall and backed away from the door while holding on to the phone with a death grip. She jumped when a single kick made the hinges give in and sent the door flying towards her. After jumping aside she glanced up to see three men rushing towards her, guns already being aimed.

"Its her, grab her so we can get out of here," one of them sneered, cocking his gun to the side when he saw Monica. She didn't look like she was going to put up much of a fight. By the looks of it she was alone and they had caught her by surprise, their job had just gotten easier.

Monica backed away slowly and bolted towards the kitchen with two of the hired guns behind her.

A pained cry left her lips when one of them managed to grab a fistful of her loose hair. Her body immediately snapped back and crashed into his arms before she turned and kneed him in the stomach. The gunman released her and doubled over before the other stepped forward and reached for her.

Monica turned away from him to grab a plate from the sink out of pure impulse before spinning around again and breaking it on his head. She smiled weakly when she realized that it had served to disorientate the man for a few seconds. Taking advantage of this, she ran towards the doorway of the kitchen hoping to get out before either of them could recover.

Upon running out, however, the third caught her and pulled one of her arms behind her back before turning her towards a nearby wall and slamming her head up against one of the frames that hung on the wall.

Monica cried out when she felt the impact and hissed when a glass shard dug into her cheekbone. Her free hand clawed at the drywall in pain. She felt her nails dig in and peel away at some of the paint as the gunman pulled her head back and slammed her forward once more.

She gasped when she felt her body being thrown across the room and onto the broken coffee table moments before she felt a boot on her back pinning her down.

"Was that so difficult?" she heard the man bark moments before she shifted uncomfortably. The wood splinters were digging into her body at odd angles and her head was spinning uncontrollably.

"Dollmaker's gonna be pissed when he sees what you did to her face," the other commented as the pair exited the kitchen.

"I don't work for the Dollmaker, I answer to Two Face," the first replied, pushing Monica down with more force when she tried to get up.

"But the Dollmaker gave us instructions-"

"You should tell Harvey that I don't take kindly to loud intruders," a familiar voice growled, followed by the trademark click and boom of a shotgun being fired. Monica jumped and flinched when the pressure from her back was eased and the man fell onto his knees beside her. The shot still ran in her ears as she watched him clutch his bloodied chest moments before he fell forward and remained motionless.

"Shit, no one said anything about the Joker," one of the remaining two blurted, bolting towards the door. The clown's amused eyes followed him as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a grenade and tugged on the pin with his teeth. He tossed it up and down in his hand for a few moments, as if weighing it, before he hurled it down the hall where the running gunman currently was.

The lone survivor grimaced when the deafening boom reached his ears.

The Joker snapped his head to look at him and made a fake attempt to grab him, the gunman jumped back out of pure instinct. The man released a breath that he hadn't realized that he had been holding when he noticed that the Joker hadn't killed him.

"Made ya flinch," the clown chuckled, turning away from the relieved gunman. Without looking at him, the madman pulled out a gun from the inside of his coat and shot him several times while he walked towards Monica. She felt her eye twich when she saw how he had fooled the other into believing that he was safe.

No one was safe from the Joker, not even her.

She reached up to him and instead of taking a hold of his hand like he had thought, her bloodied hand closed around the collar of his shirt. She managed to get up and turned to glare at the doorway before stalking over to it.

The Joker stared after her after seeing the state that she had been left in. It would have made him euphoric if he had done the damage. The fact that she was bleeding and he hadn't been the cause of it, however, got his blood boiling.

No one touched her but him.

No one.

"Im going to kill him," she snarled, crouching down with a pained expression on her face in order to pick up a discarded gun. She walked away before the madman could say anything and limped down the hallway. She wasn't thinking rationally, she was tired of being the punching bag of every criminal in Gotham.

He grinned from ear to ear after seeing her struggle due to the pain that she was in. The bloodied sneer that she had on her face sent a shiver down his back that was hard to suppress whenever she ground her teeth together in rage.

"Run while you still can!" she screamed, seeing three vans pull out of the parking lot as soon as they stepped out. She could see the direction in which they were headed, if they hurried they could still catch up to them.

"Doll, its over," the clown laughed, amused at how frustrated she was. He could see her shake with rage underneath the dim yellow streetlight.

"No, its not," she snapped, turning towards him, "they cant just pop in whenever they'd like to beat the shit out of me!"

It was only then that he really took the time to analyze the damage that they had done.

His smile dropped.

There was blood running down the side of her temple, her split lip, and her busted brow.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he missed the cargo trailer and motorcycle pulling up behind them. It wasn't until he heard a mechanical voice that he turned towards the source with a foul expression on his face. Bane was sitting on his motorcycle a few feet away from them in a pitiful state, swaying as he tried to keep his balance.

Monica approached him cautiously, she could tell that the pain that she was in was nothing compared to his. Her hands fumbled over his mask, trying to find what was wrong with it. He leaned forward into her, desperate to relieve the agony that shot through his body.

"Oh god," Monica whispered, finding the source of his pain. He had two shots in his chest and one on his right arm, it stunned her that he was still standing. She pushed two of the small tubes that made up his mask back into place after noting that they had been unplugged and gasped when his hand wrapped around her neck.

The goons that had been in the large trailer rushed out and ran towards her while readying their guns.

"You let him get away," Bane hissed, "you were foolish, child."

Monica choked and clawed at his wrist hopelessly as he pulled her closer to him.

The clown merely watched with disinterest in his eyes.

If Bane wanted to kill her he would have done so the moment his hand made contact with her neck.

"I want him dead as much as you do," Monica coughed, fighting back the tears of pain that threatened to fall from her eyes. After hearing this Bane released her and placed a machine gun into her hand. She took it without second thought and mounted the motorcycle behind him before any of the clown's goons could reach her.

The Joker instantly turned his head to look at her when Monica drove by and smiled mockingly while she wrapped an arm around Bane's waist. She had to kill Two Face sooner or later, she had a feeling that her chances of reaching him were higher if she stuck with Bane for the moment.

"Get her back!" the clown barked, shooting at anyone that got in his way as he made his way towards the back of the trailer. He nodded to Blade to pull out and checked the stock of guns that they had. He cursed Monica for leaving without him, she was going to get herself killed if he wasn't there.

The cool night air that had served as a calming sedative now made his senses sharper without Monica by his side. He dangled out of the side of the trailer impatiently, shooting random criminals that happened to have the misfortune of being out on the streets as they passed by. He got to the point of throwing grenades out at random as well, not even the screams and cries of his victims could bring a smile to his face.

The only thing that managed to calm him was the familiar rumble of Bane's motorcycle as they caught up to them.

"What do you think you're doing?" the clown demanded, motioning for her to grab his hand and jump into the trailer. Monica shook her head at him and pointed the gun in her hand at him.

"Something that you should have done when you had the chance to," she replied, daring him to reach for her one more time.

"Get in here or I'll kill him," the clown threatened, his voice low as he reached for Grumpy and held the gun in his hand to his head. The goon in the Joker's hold looked pleadingly at Monica, he wasn't bluffing, he would pull the trigger without a second thought if she didn't obey him.

Monica opened her mouth to reply to his demand just as a bullet whizzed by between the trailer and the motorcycle. Both parties looked back to find that they were now the ones being followed by Two Face and his men.

"Pull up beside us!" Monica yelled to Blade, hoping to get the trailer closer to their bike to make it seem as if she were about to obey the clown. Blade looked back at her with doubt through the side mirror and smiled when he realized what she wanted to do.

"Sorry, I only take orders from the clown prince of crime," the young goon called back, laughing as Monica's jaw dropped in disbelief. She shook her head and whispered something into Bane's ear as the bullets got closer and closer to hitting them.

"Well, I'm the fucking princess, pull up beside us!" she yelled, rising from the bike and using Bane's shoulders as support. The Joker let go of Grumpy upon seeing this and watched as she stared back at the trucks that were following them. His only concern was the fact that she hadn't let go of the gun in her hand.

He reached out for her with one hand as Blade pulled up closer to them and then sped up when the clown was about to grab Monica's arm. The biker laughed at the clown's perplexed expression as the side door completely passed her. She kept one foot on the backseat of the motorcycle and the other up against the side of the trailer as she rose her gun and started to shoot at their pursuers.

"She's mad," Happy chuckled, watching as the biker kept her balance and at the same time managed to deal with the recoil of the weapon in her hands. Bane maintained his speed and kept glancing at Blade to make sure that he didn't speed up or slow down either, if they did she would lose her balance and end up falling in between their vehicles.

"Yeah, that's my girl!" Grumpy laughed, shaking his head in disbelief as she took out two of the three vehicles by shooting out their tires and causing them to crash.

"Im out!" Monica yelled, throwing the gun towards the remaining truck. She knew for a fact that Two Face was in it, all she needed to do was figure out how to stop it.

The Joker merely shook his head at her and pulled out a rocket launcher from the back before noticing that they were nearing the docks.

Bane tapped Monica's leg as a warning causing her to look back and notice that they were running out of road to drive in.

"Throw it!" she yelled, looking back while trying to keep her balance. The fact that her hair was whipping around her face didn't help and having Bane and Blade drive closer and the further apart was affecting her as well.

The clown tilted his head at her request and glanced back towards the docks when he realized that they were too close to swerve away from the edge of the water.

He tossed the launcher to her and shrugged apologetically when she caught it and fumbled before regaining the little balance that she had left. Without even looking she pulled the trigger and felt Bane slam onto the breaks moments before she flew backwards and fell into the cold water.

While she was under she could hear the screeching breaks of the trailer moments before it followed and sunk as well. It took her a few seconds to swim up and avoid being taken down by the trailer. She surfaced with a gasp and clawed at the dock before she was pulled up by Chuckles and Happy who were both soaked. The cold water caused her teeth to chatter and her body to shake uncontrollably once she was out.

"You got him, doll," Grumpy laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She could see the flaming wreck a few feet away, she hadn't hit them directly but had managed to drive them off of the road on onto a light post.

The group of four turned towards the water when the clown groaned and pulled himself up before he walked over to the wreck of the remaining truck. Monica watched as he stumbled and leaned up against one of the doors and opened it. He pulled Two Face out harshly and threw him down onto the pavement before crouching to see if he was still alive.

She walked over to him slowly and sighed when she saw Two Face groan and attempt to get up.

"He's still alive," Blade commented, stepping aside as Bane dismounted his bike near the edge of the dock and stalked over to them.

"He's all yours," The Joker chuckled, dropping the man harshly. He walked over to Monica and pulled her away as Bane crouched down and picked the other criminal up just as he was coming to his senses.

She winced when she saw Bane's hands move to the side of his face and snap it to the side.

Monica knew he was dead when his body went limp.

"They're all yours," Bane called out, catching Monica's attention. The goons and the clown beside her all paused mid-step and turned to look at Bane when he said this. A gas grenade being thrown in the middle of their group confirmed her suspicions, they had been crossed.

He was a criminal after all, she shouldn't have expected more out of him.

"Two Face is dead, and I get my girl and the clown, just like we agreed," Dollmaker's voice chuckled as Monica coughed and struggled to breathe. She could feel the Joker's grip tighten around her waist when the Dollmaker approached them. She could barely make out his figure through the white smoke that engulfed her.

Moments later Grumpy and Happy collapsed onto the floor followed by Blade and Chuckles. Monica could already feel her eyelids growing heavy. She fell back into the clown's arms, the gas doing its job moments, before his grip loosened and he fell as well. There was no point in running, they wouldn't have gotten far.

"Look at what they did to your face," Dollmaker tsked, running his hands across the cut on Monica's cheek. It was small but he wouldn't risk cutting her face off now when he could wait for it to heal. In the mean time he would just have to entertain himself with the clown.

He motioned for his men to retrieve their unconscious bodies and walked past Bane who didn't give him a second glance either. The masked man had gotten what he had come for, Two Face was dead.

The thing that made him stay long after the Dollmaker had left, however, hid in the nearby shadows. The fluttering of his cape giving his location away. Bane wondered why he hadn't come out when they were taking Monica away.

He cracked his neck and laughed at the caped crusader's attempts at staying out of sight.

He would have his fun before he broke the other man.

"The shadows betray you..."

**Review! The longer the better! The more the merrier! Thoughts? Questions? Dont be shy, throw em at me! **


	63. I'll Kill Her Too

**Remember Me?**

**A/N: So it took me forever to update this once more, sorry for the long wait! I had school and other things come up along with writer's block. It wasnt pretty my dears, forgive me in advance for any typos, I didnt have time to proofread this chappie. Also, I promise I'll write back in the next chapter, Im exhausted right now and I just want to upload this already for all of those who have been waiting patiently. **

"Wake up, clown" the Dollmaker whispered, crouching beside the purple clad man. He clenched the crowbar in his hand tightly when he saw the other stir and reach for him.

The Joker glared up at the masked man and reached for him once more only to realize that his wrist was cuffed to the bedpost of a steel bed frame.

"Struggling will do you no good, not even you could escape from that," the Dollmaker chuckled, keeping to the shadows so that the other man could only see him from the waist down.

The clown sneered at him before tugging on the cuffs once more. Upon realizing that the Dollmaker had a point his head snapped to the side to examine every inch of the room. He found nothing of use and the fact that he could barely register anything in the darkness didnt sit well with him.

"You never did well in the dark, did you?" the Dollmaker questioned, twirling the bar in his hands. The Joker's eyes snapped towards his form in an instant. As soon as he managed to get free of the cuffs he would make the other man wish he was never born.

"You know nothing," the clown hissed, tugging at his restraint once more.

"Oh, Jackie boy, I know everything," the Dollmaker laughed, stepping forward and into the light. The Joker's face drained of the little color that it had and his blood ran cold when he heard the other man's words.

His whole body was paralyzed.

"You do not remember me, do you?" the masked man asked, crouching in front of the other. The clown got a good look at him without a mask of skin hiding his true face.

The Joker stared at him with horror.

He knew who the other man was.

"I am surprised that it took you this long to recognize me," the Dollmaker whispered, leaning in closer to the other man.

The clown actually drew back, his head shaking in denial.

He was supposed to be dead.

"We can recall the past later, I have to attend to the girl right now," the Dollmaker informed him, rising as he turned away from him with the crowbar in his hand.

"Touch her and I swear I'll kill you," the Joker snarled, catching the other's attention.

"I plan on doing more than just that," the Dollmaker replied, "a face like hers is hard to come by, just like Jeanie's."

The clown clenched his teeth when he heard this, he remembered who the other man was now. It dumbfounded him that he hadn't realized it sooner. He had been the knife thrower at the carnival, the man who had killed his wife.

A deep hatred rose within him towards the masked man, he would have his head one way or another.

"You're a dead man walking," the Joker snarled, tugging on his cuffs to no avail. He felt the skin over his wrists break and bleed, he ignored the pain and concentrated on the figure of the other man.

"Look, if you're that upset I'll let you see her, Jack," the Dollmaker replied, turning towards the door. The clown's eyes snapped towards it when it opened and two men dragged in Monica's thrashing form between them.

A black sack had been placed over her head and her wrists had been tied together with rusted barbed wire.

"Just hold her there," the Dollmaker ordered, pointing to a spot in front of the clown.

The Joker watched as one of the guards kicked out her legs from behind her and forced her down onto her knees. He could see her chest rise up and down slowly, he could only guess what was going through her mind at the moment.

He took a minute to scan her over and upon finding no new wounds his eyes snapped back to the Dollmaker.

"You always had a thing for the beautiful ones," the Dollmaker commented, standing beside Monica as he placed a hand over her head. She immediately drew away from him but stopped when one of the guards wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and applied pressure.

The clown felt his blood boil when he saw this and lunged forward when he heard her utter a hiss of pain. He despised the way that her body flinched and cowered before the other man.

The Dollmaker reached back and pulled the sack off of her head. Monica's eyes scanned the room with fear apparent in her expression before they landed on the Joker.

Hope flashed across her eyes before the Dollmaker stepped behind her and toyed with the gag that they had placed in her mouth. Monica turned towards him and attempted to grab him but stopped when one of his men grabbed her hair and pulled her back.

A muffled whimper reached the clown's ears causing him to growl and lung forward once more.

"Oh, I forgot, if you're the one hurting her it is alright, but when I do it it seems to be the end of the world for you," the Dollmaker chuckled, motioning for the other man to loosen the grip that he had on Monica.

She kept her eyes on the clown as she felt the Dollmaker caress her cheek lovingly. No matter how hard she tried she could already feel tears clouding her vision. Her hands reached out for him weakly only to have the same man kick them down with his boot.

A scream left her mouth when he held them down to the floor while digging the barbed wire into her skin.

"Enough," the clown snarled, his temper rising by the minute as he watched the Dollmaker tilt his head in amusement.

"We are just getting started, clown," the masked man replied, dismissing his men. Monica screamed once more as the gunman applied one last bit of pressure onto her wounded wrists before exiting the room.

She pulled her hands back and held them to her chest in an attempt to ease the pain moments before the Dollmaker kicked her back onto the floor.

Hot tears streamed down her face as her back hit the cold floor beneath her.

The Joker felt his eye twich when he saw this as he continued to struggle with his restraints. The hopeless look on her face was eating away at him, it unnerved him that he was a few feet away from her but wasn't able to help her.

"Did I ever tell you how I killed his wife?" the Dollmaker asked, standing over Monica. She shook her head rapidly and tried to scoot away from him patheticaly.

"She was a prettly little thing, just like you," the masked man whispered, "until I impaled her with six knives and cut her face off."

Monica froze when she heard this and glanced at the crowbar in his hands.

The Dollmaker caught her looking and smiled down at her.

"Oh, this?" he chuckled, "just pretend it isnt there."

The clown felt his nostrils flare when the Dollmaker crouched and wiped away Monica's tears, smudging her face with the blood and dirt from his gloves.

"Now tell me, who would you prefer, me or a clown who cant even keep you out of harm's way?"

Monica felt her breath hitch when she heard this, she knew that her life depended on the answer that she gave. Her eyes betrayed her when they drifted towards the clown who remained chained to the asylum bed a few feet away.

"You disappoint me just like Jeanie did," the Dollmaker sighed, shaking his head as he rose and spun the crowbar in his hand, "such a shame."

The clown flinched when he saw the other man bring the crowbar down onto Monica's stomach. A scream tore through her throat as she felt her body contract into a small ball in order to shield herself.

"This is getting in the way," the Dollmaker commented, crouching down to remove the gag from Monica's mouth, "I want to hear you scream."

He kicked her side and brought the crowbar down on her again when she left herself exposed. Another scream left her lips, sending chills up the Dollmaker's spine. It echoed off of the walls and rung in his ears like a heavenly symphony.

The Joker remained motionless, his teeth grit in pure rage.

She curled up once more and covered her face with her tied hands in an attempt to protect herself. Her cries filled the room as the Dollmaker reached down and tugged her upwards before hurling her towards the clown.

She stumbled and fell mere inches from his feet as her bloodied hands wrapped around his shoe in an attempt to pull herself towards him. The clown reached down for her despite the cuffs around his hands.

"No!" she cried, feeling the Dollmaker tug her away by her leg. Her nails dug into the clown's shoe and left marks as the masked man tore her away from him.

"Now, let us put a nice crimson shade onto his bar," the Dollmaker laughed, twirling the crowbar once more before hitting her with it. Monica cried out and coughed when she felt her chest constrict. She gasped for air when the Dollmaker hit her again and a sickening crack reached her ears.

The Joker remained seated up against the bed, pulling at the cuffs with whatever strength he had left. The Dollmaker had taken it too far, he would end up killing her if he didnt do something.

Monica started to hyperventilate when the Dollmaker hit her chest once more with the crowbar. She could hear another splinter and in mere seconds she was coughing out blood.

Her body convulsed when he hit her with more force and broke another bone. She cried silently as blood continued to flow out of her mouth.

"You're going to kill her!" the Joker yelled, unaware of the panic in his voice. He tried to free himself with more determination than before when the Dollmaker ignored him and continued to rain blow after blow onto Monica's broken form.

Her body shook uncontrollably as she gave up and dropped her bruised arms, She didnt shield herself from his fury any longer, she merely clenched her eyes shut whenever the Dollmaker brought the bar down onto her.

"Look at the poor thing, she still believes that you can save her," the Dollmaker teased, backing away from her so that the clown could see her.

Monica reached for him with shaking hands, pleading for him to do something before her hands dropped and her eyes were clenched shut when the Dollmaker hit her once more.

"You're sick," the clown snarled, looking at the Dollmaker with disgust.

"Perhaps," the other replied, "but I will enjoy cutting her face off in front of you."

Before either of them could say anything else the door was kicked open and two figures rushed in.

The Joker sighed in relief when Blade tackled the Dollmaker and Ivy rushed to his side.

"What happened?" the redhead asked, helping him out of his cuffs. As soon as his hands were free he stood up and headed towards Monica's unmoving form.

Ivy followed him and covered her mouth when she saw what the Dollmaker had done to her.

"Oh, darling, what have they done?" Ivy questioned, crouching to examine the damage.

"Boss, we need to leave, we wont be able to make it out if we wait any longer," Blade pointed out as he struggled to subdue the masked man beneath him.

The Joker turned his figure towards the Dollmaker when he heard this and stalked over to them.

"Come on, clown," the Dollmaker laughed, "this was all just a misunderstanding."

The Joker reached down towards him only to be stopped by Blade.

"Boss, we need to go," the goon hissed, his persistence alarming the Joker. If the goon deemed the situation unmanageable then they needed to get out as soon as possible.

"This is hardly over," the Joker snarled, retrieving the other man by the collar of his shirt. He pulled out one of his blades and rammed it into the other man's chest, twisting and digging it in further when the other hissed in pain.

He dropped the Dollmaker and nodded to Bane who went towards the doorway to see if the alarm had been raised yet.

"She wont make it, Joker," Ivy whispered, watching his face for any reaction. She stopped him when he reached out for Monica.

"She's been through worse," the clown snarled back, picking the other woman up quickly as Ivy shook her head at his rough handling.

"You're going to finish killing her!" she snapped at him, placing a hand over Monica's ribs to see if he had done more damage by picking her up so harshly.

The clown ignored her and rushed out of the room with Blade clearing the way and Ivy occupying herself with the back. By the time they reached the van that was waiting for them outside they had killed over ten hired guns and blown up over three staircases.

"Fucking hell," Happy choked when his eyes landed on Monica's limp figure in the clown's arms.

Grumpy glanced back at them from the rearview mirror and shook his head grimly. They had wasted three hours in searching for them, three hours that they could have used to prevent what had happened to her.

"Hold on, love," Ivy whispered, grabbing one of Monica's hands and frowning when she noticed the cuts that the barbed wire was making. She looked around and nodded her head in gratitude when Chuckles offered her some bolt cutters.

She cut the wire off carefully upon realizing the cautious look that the clown was directing towards her.

"If it wasn't for the Bat we never would have found you," Ivy commented, sitting beside the clown as she caressed Monica's blood matted hair. The clown's grip around her tightened slightly when he remembered the Dollmaker doing the same thing.

"The Bat?" the Joker questioned, wanting to hear more.

"We had to get the location out of Bane, Batman had to unlatch three of the tubes from his mask before he admitted anything," Blade explained, noticing that Ivy had stopped talking.

"He was mad, you should have seen the beating that Bane received," Ivy added, shaking her head as she recalled what had happened.

The Joker merely glanced out of the window impatiently as they neared Ivy's botanist shop. It was no longer safe to stay at their apartment, the Dollmaker already knew where it was.

After an hour long drive the clown handed Monica off to Grumpy who immediately took her into his arms with extreme care and headed inside.

Before he could follow Ivy stopped him with a hand to his chest near the doorway.

"What's with the frown?" she questioned, finding it unusual of the man.

The Joker felt his hand twitch impatiently, he didn't need to be questioned at the time.

"It can be turned upside down in an instant," he replied, wrapping one hand around her neck as he rammed her up against one of the glass windows.

He released her when one of the leaves on her arm was pulled back and a red thorn pierced his forearm.

"Such concern, one might even dare to say that you care for her," Ivy commented as she rubbed her irritated neck. She laughed at the man when he stalked away from her and slammed the door shut behind him.

Her green eyes stayed on the door for a few more seconds moments before the familiar flutter of a cape reached her ears.

"He beat her with a crowbar," Ivy admitted, seeing the dark knight land beside her.

"He what?!" Batman demanded, turning his whole body towards her in an instant.

"My, it seems that everyone's on edge today," Ivy commented, trying to lighten the mood.

Batman snarled and lunged towards her only to have her glare warningly at him.

"You're not the only one who's concerned about her," Ivy added, causing the caped crusader to pause.

"Move aside," he demanded, trying to get inside as Ivy panicked and stood in front of him. She knew that the clown wouldn't hesitate in killing the man if he walked in now. They were both on edge, the last thing she needed was for them to size each other up inside of her home.

"He will kill you if you walk in there," Ivy replied, refusing to move.

"Who will?" Batman questioned, he had a pretty good guess already.

"The Joker," Ivy answered, "he'll kill anyone who touches her."

Batman sighed and stepped back. As much as he wanted to see Monica he couldn't risk her health by irritating the clown.

"I expect you to find me when she is well," Batman replied, turning away from Ivy when he heard a nearby scream.

"I'd keep the Dollmaker away for the time being, the clown didn't have the time to kill him," Ivy called after him as he nodded and disappeared into the shadows.

Ivy sighed and turned towards the door to her home as she twisted the knob and entered to find the clown's goons running around for anything of use.

"I want him dead!" the clown snarled, as shattering glass reached Ivy's ears. Happy rushed out of the room followed by Chuckles and Blade. Ivy stared at them questioningly and watched them leave before she entered and watched as Grumpy and several other goons tried to ease Monica's pain and keep her comfortable until Lucifer arrived.

He was the only one who could help her now, none of them were doctors and therefore couldnt help her.

"It's going to be a long night," Ivy commented, walking and stopping beside Monica's side.

The redhead caressed the other's face with care before Grumpy replied back.

"You have no idea."

The clown merely turned away from them and exited the room as well.

The sneer on his face didn't go unnoticed by Ivy.

Dollmaker was going to pay.

She merely wished she was present when the clown finally killed the other man.

**Review! Yes, the Dollmaker is the same asshole who killed Jeanie in the flashback, I decided to change the original background of the masked man for my own purposes. I love all of you who have been reviewing, I never get tired of saying this but you're the reason I stay up at night to update! So if you want me to update leave a review, the longer the better! Till next time, my dears. **


	64. You're Weak

**You're Weak**

**A/N: So here it is, I know I promised I'd write back but Im just overly exhausted at this point. I've been trying to get the clown back into character since two of you have pointed out his obvious soft side appearing way too often, this is the chappie where he starts to go back to his usual insane self. I needed to get him out of character for the story's sake but fear not I shall have him killing and hurting more people as this progresses. With that said, enjoy and please bare with me, school's been quite a pain. **

Batman landed silently beside Ivy, his cape failing to alert her of his presence as she paced back and forth in her garden. The caped crusader followed her every move with his stoic blue eyes and took note of the troubled expression on her face.

"She's been out for three days," Ivy snapped, noticing his presence. She stalked away from him and glanced down at the bed of roses beneath her.

"Three days?" Batman questioned, his own mind running wild. To say that he was concerned was an understatement.

"The biker did all he could, she had a punctured lung and three broken ribs," Ivy commented, refusing to meet Batman's gaze.

The dark knight did the only thing that ran through his mind, he turned away from Ivy and headed towards the door that lead inside of the botanist shop.

Ivy merely followed in after him, she knew that the Joker was nowhere near Monica at the moment.

Batman paused when he reached the doorway, his eyes locked on Monica's sleeping figure a few feet away.

The beeping of the machines that had been attached to her through needles and tubes disturbed and sickened him. He hated the way that they prodded and punctured her skin, it was a highly unnatural look for her.

What bothered him the most, however, was the oxygen mask that had been placed over her mouth and nose.

He turned his head towards Ivy as she walked to the other woman's bedside and ran her hand up Monica's arm.

"She'll stop breathing without it," Ivy snarled, glaring at the mask with her piecing green eyes. The read head's hand griped one of Monica's and gave it a gentle squeeze before she backed away and gave the caped crusader some space.

"You have five minutes," Ivy warned him, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Batman moved silently to her bedside, minding his footsteps despite the fact that it was highly unlikely that he would wake her by making noise.

His eyes scanned the room intently and dismissed everything until they landed on an infamous purple coat thrown over the leather chair next to her bedside.

The dark knight felt his blood boil as he reached over to it and picked it up with a shaking hand. He could already smell the gunpowder and blood on the lone piece of clothing. It was enough to make him throw it back onto the chair with a snarl.

It was obvious that the clown had been there for a while, the assortment of knives and cans of makeup on the nightstand beside Monica's head confirmed his suspicions.

He turned away from the clown's belongings and rested his attention onto Monica once more. His hand reached out to touch her cheek but stopped when the door suddenly opened and he had two pairs of guns drawn on him.

"Get away from her," Grumpy growled, ready to pull the trigger as he rushed into the room. Blade followed in shortly after, shotgun raised and ready to fire.

Batman merely rose his hands above his head and turned to look at them. Grumpy's face paled when he realized who they were dealing with. Blade reached towards his coat pocket to call the clown only to be stopped by Ivy smacking the back of his head.

"You idiots, he isn't a threat!" Ivy hissed, placing a her hands over the barrels of the guns in order to push them down.

"What are you all yelling about?" a third voice questioned as Lucifer stepped into the room.

"Sorry, I couldn't keep his guard dogs in check," Ivy apologized, shaking her head in embarassment. Batman resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he remained frozen in place.

"Fancy seeing you here, playboy," Lucifer chuckled, his eyes never leaving the dark knight's. Batman immediately snapped his head over to look at him when he heard what the other had just said.

"What? We all know each other know?" Grumpy questioned, refusing to let down his gun. He didn't trust anyone other than Blade in the room.

"Would you all calm down, this is hardly necessary," Ivy commented as Blade turned his gun onto Lucifer.

"You know him?" the young goon asked, motioning towards Batman with his gun.

"Why does it concern you?" Lucifer replied, ignoring the fact that their conversation was slowly rising into a loud argument.

"For all I know you're the one that let him in," Blade hissed, "how can I be sure that you wont let anyone else in?"

"Are you implying that I'd leave her in a room with someone that I didn't trust, boy?" Lucifer snarled, his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace as his temper snapped.

"If she dies you'd be promoted to president," Blade pointed out as Lucifer lunged at him. Grumpy got in between the two as the biker tried to get a hold of Blade.

"You idiots, stop it!" Ivy yelled, pulling Blade away while Grumpy concentrated on holding Lucifer back. Batman merely watched the scene play out with disbelief, it shocked him that they didn't trust one another.

It wasn't until he felt Monica's hand around his wrist that he turned to look at her once more.

She pleaded silently with him before cough after cough raked through her body.

Lucifer's head immediatly shot towards her and his fight with Blade was forgotten the moment he saw her cough up more blood. He shoved Grumpy's hold off and rushed to her side with horror written all over his face.

"Shit," he hissed, repeating the word like some twisted mantra as she continued to cough uncontrollably while he tried to calm her heart rate.

"You imbeciles, get out before your arguing kills her!" Ivy hissed, shoving Blade and Grumpy out of the room as she turned to look at Batman pleadingly when the clown's voice reached her ears. The dark knight had little to no time to improvise and hide in a nearby closet when he realized that the only way out of the room was the door where the clown was bound to walk through in a few seconds.

He shut the door and glanced through the small vents just as the Joker walked into the room and tilted his head at the scene that was going on.

"Get out," he ordered, glaring at Ivy and Lucifer. Ivy shook her head and walked out, giving Batman one last warning glance before she headed out.

"She'll die if I don't-"

"I said get out," the clown snarled, pulling out one of his knives as Lucifer stepped away from Monica. He was no good to her dead but at the same time he wouldn't be needed if the clown allowed her to die while he was gone.

He backed away and headed towards the door, noticing the way that her heart rate refused to drop back to normal.

"Close the door," the Joker snapped, cracking his neck as he tossed his knife aside and walked over to her bedside.

Lucifer did as he was told and slammed the door shut, leaving the clown alone with Monica.

She reached for him with shaking hands when he sat beside her and refused to offer her his hand.

He watched as her chest constricted when another cough tore through her body. A small red trail was already running down from under the mask from all of the blood that she had coughed up.

He tilted his head at the obvious pain that she was in but refused to comfort her in any way.

Batman wanted to burst through the small closet door that separated them and beat him to a pulp for letting her go through her suffering alone. If that had been him he would have been holding her close in an attempt to ease and understand her pain.

"I always knew you were weak, doll," the Joker whispered, smiling down mockingly at her as his hand moved towards the nightstand once more. Monica could barely make out his hand picking up one of his knives.

She felt defenseless as she watched him run it down the side of her face. Her body had given in, she didnt have enough strenght to reach for it or pull away.

Her hands clutched the sheets beside her in agony as her body wheezed and tried to steady itself.

"I guess I was wrong, you're just like Harley," he commented with a dry chuckle, taking the tube from the oxygen mask between his hands as he cut if with the knife. Monica felt her eyes go wide when her source of air was taken from her, she could already feel herself struggle to take a breath. Despite all of this she felt her eyes narrow at him when she heard him compare her to Quinn once more. She was tired of him comparing her to the blond, her whole body shook with rage as she struggled to prove him wrong.

In a desperate attempt to keep herself alive one of her hands wrapped around his forearm and refused to let go as she pulled herself up with a pained cry. Her lugs practically felt like they were about to collapse as she fell forward onto his chest and breathed in loudly. In her panic induced state her own body had forced her lungs to work on their own once more.

She was still coughing out blood but she was now able to breathe without the oxygen mask. Her arms wrapped around one of his own as she stared at flowers that Ivy had throughout the room. Before she knew it, they all began to spin uncontrollably and her senses became clouded.

Her body slumped forward as she lost consciousness once more.

For a brief moment he turned his head to see if he had finally killed her with one of his many antics.

The Joker grinned when he registered her limp form up against his, she was barely breathing.

"The mask didn't suit you, beautiful," he chuckled, setting her down harshly as he rose from the bed and retrieved his knife from her side. His hand ghosted over the bandages on her stomach for a few seconds before he sneered at himself and backed away from her.

He had gotten what he wanted, she was able to breathe without the help of the annoying machine beside her.

Upon realizing that it was no longer of use he turned towards his discarded coat and took note of how it had been moved from where he had left it. He paused as he reached in and pulled out his gun before he turned and shot several of the machines next to her.

She wouldn't be needing them while he was there.

He was going to make sure that she suffered through every bit of her recovery just like he had done countless times before.

He had never gotten the luxuries that she was receiving and he had survived through everything.

"I cant have you turning into Harley," he confessed, a sadistic smile spreading across his expression.

The harlequin had gotten pampered throughout her time with him.

A single cut meant having to hear her complain for over a week.

He wasn't going to allow Monica to grow accustomed to that.

She needed to be able to bite her tongue if she was going to be with him.

"You bastard, did you kill her?" Ivy questioned, bursting into the room as she stopped when she realized that Monica was still alive.

"I plan to when she seizes amusing me," the clown replied, slipping his coat on with a tired expression on his face.

"You're taking your time with this one, you never did any of this with Harley," Ivy pointed out, walking to Monica's bedside once more. She took note of how he had gotten her to stop depending on the oxygen mask and other vital instruments in a short matter of time.

"I never intended to keep Harleen alive."

Ivy's green eyes trailed after the clown when she heard his reply and then drifted towards the closet when she remembered that the caped crusader was still present.

She sighed when the Joker opened and closed the door behind him just as Batman pushed open the sliding door to his hideout.

By the mere expression that he had on his face she could tell that he wasn't to keen on what he had just seen and heard.

Then again, who could blame him?

It was painfully clear that the Joker had a stronger bond with her than he ever did.

**Review!**


	65. Your Excuse

**Your Excuse**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys, I had horrible writers block! I had to force this one out so bear with me for the time being, the next one will be much better now that the writers block is gone. Enjoy! **

"Boss, this isn't the best way to handle this," Blade commented as he stood beside the clown. The pair remained near the doorway where they could clearly hear Monica crying in pain.

"She needs to feel what I felt," the clown growled, refusing to give in and let her take painkillers. He was tired of her getting thrown around by every criminal in Gotham. If she suffered through one recovery without numbing the pain she would fight back harder to avoid going through it once more.

"Get out!" Monica yelled suddenly, moments before several pillows were thrown in their direction.

"Darling-"

"I said get out!" she cried, refusing to see any of the clown's goons. They all reminded her of the situation that she had put herself in. If she hadn't been so weak she wouldn't have allowed the clown to drag her into his lifestyle.

Grumpy walked out of the room with a grim expression on his face as one of the pillows hit his back. He could tell that she had made up her mind and they were only doing her more harm in remaining there against her wishes.

The last goon closed the door behind him after she threw a picture frame at him.

The Joker smiled as he heard the glass shatter on the other side followed by a scream of pain from the biker.

"What did you do?" Ivy asked as she walked towards them from the other end of the hall.

"Leave her," the clown warned her, refusing to let the botanist through when she tried to get near the door.

"Its been three months already, let me in," Ivy snarled, pushing him back in hopes of getting through to the bedroom.

"Whatever happened to asking nicely?" the clown questioned, grinning mockingly at her as he refused to budge.

"I see what you're doing," Ivy hissed, "your trying to break her, to get her to be like you and Quinn."

The Joker merely feigned innocence at the accusation before she hit his chest in aggravation.

"She needs to learn how to survive in Gotham," the clown replied, trying to justify his actions.

"You're going to be the death of her," Ivy snapped, her green eyes refusing to look away from his own.

"We shall see," the clown replied, "we're leaving in an hour, I expect her to be able to walk."

With that, he turned and left Ivy alone in the hall, her glare burning holes into his back.

The botanist shook her head in disbelief at him before she knocked on the door gently and turned the knob.

She entered cautiously, afraid of being hit by whatever was within Monica's reach.

"It's just me," Ivy called out, stepping into the room after she noticed that Monica was lying completely still on her side.

The redhead could see the way the other's hand clawed and dug into her ribs in desperation. The bones beneath were healed but extremely frail. She was merely irritating them further and causing herself more pain.

"We need to leave, do you think you can stand?" Ivy questioned, standing beside Monica's frail form. The other woman remained still with her eyes clenched shut. She had a thin sheet of sweat covering her shivering body and her hair was a disheveled mess.

"I can do more than stand," Monica growled, using Ivy's shoulder as support while she sat up on the bed. She used all of the pent up rage and frustration that she had been keeping inside over the past few months to walk over to the bathroom and lean on the sink.

Ivy merely waited as she shut the door and turned on the shower.

The botanist stepped away from the doorway when she felt the steam from underneath sting her ankles.

She was just about to knock on the door when Monica opened it and stepped out fully dressed with a towel around her head as she dried her hair.

Ivy stared after her in concern, she was acting stoic towards her, it wasn't like the biker at all to ignore her like that.

The redhead followed after her friend quietly, noting the way that she limped but refused to ask for help.

Monica held her side gingerly as she walked down the stairs and into the living room where Grumpy and Happy were waiting for her.

"The boss is already outside," Blade commented, turning away from them and heading towards the door. Ivy shook her head at Grumpy when the goon tried to help Monica.

She merely kept her head low and bit her tongue as she wrapped the leather jacket around her small frame tightly.

The clown noted the way that she ignored him as she completely turned away from him and got into the pickup in front of him with Grumpy and Ivy. He merely chuckled and settled back into his seat as Happy pulled out onto the road and drove them through the partially cleared streets of Gotham.

Monica's eyes lit up when she realized where they were going. She was out of the pickup before it had even stopped as soon as her eyes landed on the pair of men that were waiting for her just outside of her clubhouse.

"Jesus its good to see you, babe," Lucifer commented as he hugged her but pulled back when he heard her hiss and recalled what she had been through.

"What have you gotten yourself into?" Beelzebub questioned as soon as he saw the clown step out of the other truck while stretching and waiting for his goons. Ivy merely walked over to Monica without hesitation and introduced herself to the biker's men before heading inside.

"Grumpy called, I cleared the place before any of them got here," Lucifer explained as Monica nodded and motioned for him to head inside.

"You called a meeting here?" she questioned as soon as the clown walked by with a smile plastered onto his face.

"Where else?" he replied, stopping while turning to look back at her.

"If this goes wrong you're answering to me," she hissed lowly, heading inside before the clown stopped her as well and pressed her up against the entrance door.

"Since when do I answer to you, doll?" he questioned with amused eyes, his smile sickening the biker in front of him.

"Since you did this to me," she replied, shoving him off and trying her hardest not to voice the pain that the action had cost her.

The Joker stared after her with his head tilted as he realized that she hadn't stopped holding her side since they had left Ivy's shop.

Monica sat at the head of the meeting table by mere right, she wasn't going to give up her seat to anyone else tonight if they were hosting the meeting at her clubhouse.

She found the whole thing pointless, they all knew what had happened to the Penguin and Two-Face.

Nevertheless, she choose to indulge Gotham's criminals in an attempt to get her mind off of the pain that she was going through.

The Joker sat to her right and Scarecrow to her left.

The rest of the criminals filled in the few seats that were left and before long the room had erupted into a symphony of accusations and demands. The combination of all of their voices shouting at each other and her own thoughts was enough to set Monica's temper off within minutes.

"Enough!" She barked, causing all of the criminals to still within moments, "this is a clubhouse not a circus!"

The Joker chuckled beside her only to receive a knife stabbed into the table between his thumb and index finger.

His smile dropped and his eyes instantly shot over to look at her in rage.

Scarecrow felt his jaw drop when he saw this followed by Ivy shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Deadshot eyed the only exit in the room with weary eyes, calculating everything in his head incase the meeting went south. The bunny in the Mad Hatter's lap jumped down and raced out of the room while Freeze allowed the temperature to drop further in an attempt to ease the tension that could be felt in the air.

"This is pointless with mommy and daddy fighting," Black Mask added from the very end of the table opposite to Monica. She registered his comment much like the clown her eyes never left his imposing figure.

Ivy managed to usher all of the criminals out of the room in an attempt to give the pair some much needed space.

"What was that all about, beautiful?" The clown questioned, wrapping his hand around the blade of the knife and tugging it off of the table with a grunt. The sharp edge cut through his knife and managed to slit his palm before he twirled it in his hand and sneered at the crimson shade on it.

"Fuck off, clown," she snarled, standing with a hiss. She limped over to the door that connected the meeting room to the bedroom where she would usually stay whenever she decided to crash at the clubhouse. If she could get to it without the clown getting in her way she would feel accomplished.

The Joker felt his eye twitch before he stood and closed one of his eyes while he aimed the knife at Monica's back. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to get them to ease from their tense position, it had been a while since he had thrown any knives. That had always been the Dollmakers forte, not his.

Monica paused when she felt the air next to her cheek dance and stopped walking all together when she saw the blade imbed itself into the door she was about to open.

She reached for it in a blind moment of rage and spun around without even looking before she hurled it right back at the clown.

Her eyes widened when she saw it nick his neck.

"Someone is certainly out for blood today," the clown commented with a sneer as he approached her cautiously. Monica merely eyed him with equal distrust.

"You've been out for mine since the beginning," she shot back, turning away from him once more.

"Oh come on, beautiful," the clown laughed, "you're still sore about the Dollmaker?"

The clown noticed how her whole body froze up upon hearing the other mans name.

"Wouldn't you be if he broke three of your goddamn ribs and put you in bed for three months?" she replied, refusing to meet the Joker's amused eyes.

"Well what do ya want me to do, doll?" the clown questioned, feeling the blood from the cut on his neck flow down. He hated to admit that the pleasure of having received the cut from her overrode the sting of pain that his body should have been in.

"Kill him," Monica answered, turning to look at him, "painfully."

The clown's smile grew wider when he heard this.

"What do I get from this?" he asked, clicking his tongue as she sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Whatever you want," she murmured, "just get rid of him for me."

"Whatever I want, thats quite a generous offer, beautiful," the clown replied, stepping closer to her. Monica hissed when he picked her up and kicked open the door that she had been leaning up against.

She wrapped her legs around his waist in an effort to keep herself up as he pressed her up against the closest wall that he had. The clown growled as her hand ran through his hair and tugged back harshly. Monica dropped her head back as the vibrations from his lips sucking against her neck sent a shiver of pleasure down her back.

She arched into him unwillingly and took off his jacket as he pulled them back towards the bed. Monica whined when she felt his weight on top of her. The Joker paused when he heard this but lost all notion of stopping when her hips bucked upwards into his. He suppressed a moan as Monica licked away the blood on his neck slowly.

He panted heavily as she pushed him off of her and straddled his waist with a mischievous grin on her face.

The pain from her side was long forgotten about.

She caught the glove from one of his hands between her teeth and tugged it off in annoyance before doing the same with the other. Her whole body shivered when she felt his bare hands travel beneath her shirt and dig into her waist.

She couldn't suppress the loud moan that left her lips when the pain and pleasure from his actions fused into one. She ground her hips against his, needing more friction than what he was providing.

The fact that she was enjoying this more than she should have was completely dismissed when she felt the cold air hit her bare back when he removed her shirt. He pulled her back down onto him and flipped their roles once more with an agrivated growl. Her teasing was no longer bearable, he needed all of her.

She worked on tearing off his vest and tossing it too the side before working on his shirt with trembling hands. He pulled back before she could remove it completely, however, and paused over her his smile back in place.

"Why did you stop?" she asked, out of breath as she watched him chuckle at her.

"What do you want?" he asked, answering her question with one of his own.

Monica sighed in irritation before she found her voice.

"You," she replied, reaching up to caress the scars on his face.

"What was that?" he questioned, teasing her knowing that he would end up paying for it later.

"I want you," she panted, trying to hold herself together as he raked his hand down the side of her waist. She retaliated by digging her nails into his painfully obvious erection. He felt his arms go weak as his breath halted as Monica rose her head up to kiss him messily. He groaned when she shifted and applied more pressure before rocking his hips against her hand greedily.

Monica chuckled at this and at the control that she held over him at the moment before she dropped her head back and gave herself to him once more.

Despite everything they had been through the knew that they had both been looking for an excuse to sleep with one another. Monica had noted the way that he remained beside her for a few hours before leaving instead of just getting up and walking out the door as soon as they were finished.

It made her feel like she was actually worth someone's time an attention.

With that thought in mind, she turned away from him and tugged the comforter towards her side and away from him before falling asleep in mere minutes.

She knew that their relationship meant nothing to him but she liked to pretend that it meant something to her.

Something small and barely there, but something nonetheless.

**Review! I didnt upload this sooner because of the lack of responses, it makes me think that you guys arent reading and I can take longer in updating this story! Just remember, the more reviews the faster I'll upload. On a sidenote, I tried to keep it PG-13 for everyone but I've gotten several messages requesting that I take it one step further, what are your thoughts on this? Let me know my dears, review!**


	66. De Ja Vu

**De Ja Vu**

**A/N: Well here's the next chappie, uploaded faster as promised due to all of the readers who reviewed! Major kuddos to all of you, you certainly inspired me to write this! I love you all, with that said, enjoy! **

"My patience is running low," Victoria commented, drumming her nails on the black marble table. Her blue eyes followed the figure of the Dollmaker as he stood from his chair and chuckled.

"What you ask of me will take time, it cannot be done within a couple of hours," his voice explained calmly, trying to reason with the raging woman sitting a few feet away from him.

"I asked for Monica's head, vhy is that such a hard task to accomplish?" the German snapped, standing as well as her fist pounded the table to get her point across.

"One does not simply walk in and take the clown's girl without him putting up a fight," Black Mask added from beside her. Victoria's head snapped over to him before she lunged at him.

"Victoria, enough," Goeth added calmly, putting his hand up between them. Victoria's temper quickly cooled and she seated herself before the other said anything else.

Black Mask chuckled quietly when he noticed this.

He came to the conclusion that the other German called the shots, not the girl.

"I am giving you a week to deliver her to me," Goeth added, his voice calm and collected. Dollmaker's eyes never left the other's cold glare.

"What makes you think we will agree to this?" Black Mask questioned, tilting his head as his hand reached down to feel the gun strapped to his waist out of pure precaution.

Goeth smiled eerily before he nodded to one of the two guards that had been standing beside the door to the small room where they were in.

"She is the only thing that keeps the clown controlled, without her he is nothing," Goeth commented, watching as two more of his guards entered the room while they held a third man between them.

"Take her away and Gotham will be yours to do with as you please," the German pointed out, stepping out of the way as his two guards shoved the man down onto the table.

"Who the hell is this?" Black Mask asked as he sneered and pushed his chair away from the bleeding mess that the man had left behind when he was slammed down onto the hard surface.

"One of men, he will provide you with whatever you need, I warmed him up for you," Victoria commented, proud of her work.

"I'll kill you," the biker snarled, barring his bloodied teeth at her as he tried to shake the guards off unsuccessfully.

"One week," Goeth reminded them as he stood from his chair and nodded once at Victoria. She was up and off of the chair and by his side in a heartbeat.

"Why is she so important?" Bane asked, refusing to look at the German beside him. His gaze merely stayed on the biker in front of him.

"She is a disgrace to her father's bloodline, I will not allow a halfbreed to carry his family name," Goeth replied, walking towards the door.

"The biker is yours to keep, feel free to kill him whenever you'd like," Victoria added, walking beside Goeth proudly before they left the room and the three criminals in it behind.

"This is all for a woman?" Black Mask laughed as he stood and shook his head in disbelief.

"It is no ordinary woman," Dollmaker added, his mind running wild with possibilities.

"I've seen her," Black Mask commented, nodding in agreement, "if I were the clown I'd be screwing her senseless not arguing with her." He remembered the last time he had seen the pair, it was clear that they were at odds with one another.

Upon hearing this the biker that was being held down onto the table shoved off the guard on top of him and tried to punch Black Mask before he was slammed down onto the ground by a swift kick from Bane.

"My, my, my, it is a small world after all," the Dollmaker chuckled, recognizing the man when Bane turned him over and pulled him up harshly.

Beelzebub growled and spat the blood in his mouth out onto the Dollmaker's face before the other calmly wiped it away.

"Do we need him?" Black Mask asked, moments before Bane broke the biker's neck and allowed him to fall to the ground.

"He would have wasted our time, they never talk," Bane explained, stepping over the dead body of the biker.

Black Mask resisted the urge to punch the other man, he had wanted to torture the biker until he begged for death.

"What do we do with him, then?" Black Mask called after Bane, receiving nothing but silence. Dollmaker merely crouched down to look at the biker's face carefully before a smile spread across his features.

He patted his coat and pulled out a scalpel out of the inside of his pocket before carving a smile onto the biker's face.

"If they were at odds before this will certainly push her over the edge," the Dollmaker chuckled, pulling back to examine his work.

"And send her running straight into our arms," Black Mask added, understanding the other man's plan. Bane had known what he was doing since the beginning, all they needed to do was dump the body where she would find it.

"Precisely," the Dollmaker replied.

Black Mask nodded, crouching and picking the body up with a grunt.

"I'll let you know when it's done," he commented as he passed the Dollmaker and headed out the door. He had to resist the urge to skip over to the truck as he placed the body in the back and gave his driver directions.

He couldn't stop a grin from forming on his face as he ordered the man to shut off the lights on the truck when they neared the clubhouse. Beelzebub's body hit the ground with a dull thud as Black Mask pulled him out by his legs and dragged him over to the entrance.

The criminal hummed a tune loudly as he sat the dead biker up against a wall near the door and stepped back to examine his work. The way that the blood from his severed cheeks flowed down was illuminated perfectly by the dim lighting that a lone street lamp provided, there was nothing he could do to make it look better.

"Delivery!" Black Mask chuckled, pulling out his gun and firing several shots through the glass door and into the clubhouse before he walked over to the truck that was waiting for him and sped off. After they were at a safe distance he cued his driver to stop and wait. He wanted to see the woman's reaction, that had been the only reason he had volunteered to drop the body off.

"Shit!" Lucifer cursed, crouching down to feel Beelzebub's pulse, he knew that there was no chances of him being alive but he had to check nonetheless. When he confirmed that the club's second in command was no longer alive he glanced up to see if Monica had been alerted of the latest development.

Upon only seeing the clown's goons he uttered a sigh of relief and tried to think of a way to get rid of the body before she noticed.

"Dont let her see anything!" Lucifer hissed warningly, moments before Monica stepped through the door and saw what the commotion was about. Grumpy was about to pull her away before her eyes landed on Beelzebub's dead body. She couldn't stop the horrified scream that left her lips upon seeing him.

She fell to her knees as she reached out to touch him. She pulled her hand back and stared at the crimson blood that tainted her fingers. Whoever had killed him had carved his cheeks into a Glasgow smile, they had done it purposefully, they wanted to send a message.

The clown walked out of the clubhouse upon hearing her with a shotgun at the ready before he paused and noticed her broken form crying over the dead body of one of her bikers.

"Come on, darling," Grumpy whispered, trying to pull her away from Beelzebub's body. She struggled against him, reaching out and crying for the man that had once meant the world to her.

"This is all your fault!" she screamed, her eyes bloodshot, directing all of her rage and sorrow towards the clown as Grumpy and Happy pulled her away. It was clear that the message had been for him, not her. It was his fault that her VP was dead.

The clown merely stared down at the body of the dead biker, the tight grip that he held on the shotgun decreasing drastically.

"M-Monica?" Beatrice choked, stepping out of the clubhouse as all heads turned towards her.

Monica felt her heart drop when she saw the blood that seeped through her white dress. A stray bullet had found its way into her chest.

Lucifer rushed over to her in horror and prevented her from falling to the ground with the help of Happy and Blade who immediately carried her over to one of the vans.

"I need to take her to a hospital, I don't have any equipment here," he explained as Monica shook her head in denial.

Beatrice was 9 months pregnant, practically ready to give birth. If anything happened to her or the baby she would never forgive herself.

The Joker felt his blood run cold before he ordered all of his goons to go with them, it was like history was repeating itself all over again. He ordered Grumpy to take care of Beelzebub's body while he remained outside long after Monica had headed in to the clubhouse.

Black Mask watched the events unfold with a gleeful smile before he ordered his driver to leave, he had seen enough.

The Joker merely headed inside and tossed the shotgun in his hand aside before scanning the bar for Monica. Upon finding it empty he headed towards the back where he knew that she would probably be.

He opened the door cautiously and found her sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped around herself and her head low. There was a glass filled halfway with tequila next to her and a lit cigarette on the edge of of an ashtray.

"I wish I never met you," she snapped, turning her attention onto him, "I wish I never gave a damn whether you lived or died."

The clown tilted his head when he heard this and stood in the doorway, unable to move.

Monica couldn't contain the hate that she felt towards herself then and there. She knew it was wrong to blame the clown, he had some blame but not all of it. If anyone was going to be held responsible for Beatrice's predicament it was going to be her.

"I told her to stay here," Monica choked, feeling tears stream down her face freely, "I told her it would be safe."

She laughed at herself, of course it wasn't safe. Being anywhere near her or the clown was never safe. She couldn't believe that it took something like Beatrice begin shot for her to realize this. She thanked whatever God was watching over her that Kiri was at Gab riel's house with the rest of her men and not at the clubhouse where she could have been shot as well.

Her whole body jumped when her phone rang and her shaking hand reached for it cautiously. The clown could see that she was battling with herself, she had to answer it but at the same time she was scared to.

She put it on speaker and practically held her breath as she heard Lucifer's breaking voice echo through the room.

"Beatrice is dead," he told her, followed by the sound of him throwing something across the room. Monica closed her eyes and uttered a low cry.

"And the baby?" she asked, horrified of what his answer would be.

The Joker lowered his head, he knew what was coming, he had been through it before.

"I-I couldn't save either of them, the bullet pierced her heart," he told her before he ended the call.

Monica stared at the black screen on her phone for what seemed hours, unable to process what he had just said.

The Joker walked over to her and paused when he was standing in front of her.

He tilted his head, wondering if Gotham had finally managed to do what he could not, it it had finally broken her.

She turned away from him, unable to even look at him and laid down on the bed before she buried her face into one of the many pillows and screamed.

She screamed until her throat was sore and her tears ran dry.

She had reached her breaking point.

The only thing that brought her comfort was the bed dipping down when the clown sat down beside her. She turned towards him and rested her head over his leg while he ran his hand through her hair and shushed her.

He wouldnt let them break her.

That was his job, after all.

** Well, review my dears! Dont be shy! The more you review, the faster I upload**!


	67. Two

**Two**

**A/N: So sorry for the long wait my dears! I feel guilty for taking so long due to all of the reviews that I got, I love each and every one of you, even the ones who still refuse to review! I wouldnt be where I am without you guys! Major kuddos to all of you! I must warn you, these next few chapters will be written while having severe writers block so bear with your poor author for a while. That said, enjoy!**

The clown tapped his foot against the floor impatiently as he waited. His whole body protested in pain due to the uncomfortable leather chair that he was seated in.

"Ah, zhere you are," Victoria commented, opening the door and poking her head in. Her blue eyes lit up as soon as she saw the clown in the room.

She pulled back and closed the door once more before her muffled voice reached his ears. Moments later the door opened and Goeth walked in calmly with three other men.

The Joker was unfazed when he saw Black Mask in the room with the German. He wasnt stupid, he was choosing his allies well.

"I did not zhink you would come," Goeth chuckled, taking a seat across from the clown who had yet to say a word. Two guards entered the room and stood beside the door, guns in hand.

"You're looking well," Black Mask commented, laughing under his breath when he saw the clown. The purple clad man looked worn out, the makeup on his face was fading and he hardly made eye contact.

"Get to the point, old man," The Joker commented, his smile growing as he leaned over the table and cracked his neck. He folded his hands neatly over the marble surface and stopped his foot from fidgeting. He didnt need to be patronized, he knew what the other man wanted already.

"We want the girl," Black Mask added, clearing his throat as he took a seat next to the clown. The clown ignored him completely and kept his gaze on the German the whole time.

"You can have her," The Joker replied, clicking his tongue as he leaned back on the chair. He could feel his spine crack before he shifted and found a more comfortable position.

Goeth had to stop his brow from rising in surprise. He had expected a fight from the other man.

Black Mask felt his jaw drop when he heard the madman.

"I assume zhere vill be no resistance from you or your men," Goeth commented, stating more than questioning. The clown shook his head with a full Cheshire grin.

"None whatsoever," the Joker replied, raising his hands as a sigh of surrender.

"Correct me if Im wrong, but didnt you have a thing with the biker?" the masked man questioned, trying to see where the clown stood with the woman in question.

"No," the clown replied, neither too soon or too late. Goeth nodded his head and leaned back in his chair as well.

"I have come to realize zhat I have called zhis meeting for nothing," Goeth stated, glancing down at the clock on his wrist, he still had time to retrive the girl and rid himself of her before midnight came.

"I do have one request, however," the Joker chuckled, interrupting the German's train of though. Both of the criminals in the room turned their full attention onto the madman.

"And what would that be," Black mask replied, waiting for the other to make incredulous requests in exchange for the girl's life.

"I need her for three more days, after that I will, uh, personally deliver her into your caring hands," the clown informed them, tracing the scars on his cheeks with his tounge slowly.

"Zhree days?" Goeth questioned, his onyx eyes never leaving the Joker who in turn never looked away either.

"You have my word-ah," the clown replied, laughing as he made a move to stand. He had stayed in the room long enough, he felt like a trapped animal in such a small space, he needed to get back out onto the streets of Gotham.

"One more thing," Black Mask questioned, raising his hand as if he were going to ask a quetion.

The clown stopped and wrapped his hand around the ruby doorknob before he turned his head to look at the other man.

"Make it fast, Blackie," the clown snapped, glaring at the guards who had turned their attention onto him.

"You wouldnt mind if I screwed her before killing her, right?" he questioned, watching the clown intently. Goeth's eyes traveled over to him as well, waiting for any sign that might give the Joker's true intenitons away.

The clown on the other hand doubled over and started to cackle maddly, trying to contain the laughter that would cease. He shook his head and tried to contol himself before he spoke.

"You can do whatever your little black heart desires," The Joker replied, his tone dark and menacing as his smile stretched out even more. Black Mask nodded in return and turned to look at Goeth as soon as the madman left the room and closed the door behind him.

"What offer did you make him?" the masked man questioned. The Joker must have wanted something bad enough in order to trade in his favorite toy.

"The Dollmaker," Goeth replied, cracking his knuckles as he stood from the table and motioned over for one of the guards.

Black Mask watched as he whispered something into the other man's ear. He sighed and stood from the table as well, pleased with how the meeting had gone.

He knew that the clown would end up turning on the biker, it had only been a matter of time. Men like him didnt care for anything, much less a woman who they would get rid of in a heartbeat for something that they wanted.

"I need to retrieve the Dollmaker," Goeth commented, his monotone voice indicating how much he wanted to do the task.

"That's if the clown pulls through with his end," Black Mask added, still not fully convinced that they would both get what they wanted that easily, this was the Joker they were talking about, after all.

Goeth looked back with a grin that would have rivaled the Devil's and spoke with a voice that was laced with such confidence that it even managed to convince Black Mask of the impossible.

"He will come through, men like him always come through."

* * *

><p>Monica driffted in and out of sleep as she heard the clown enter and go through the small appartment that they found themselves in. She couldnt find it in herself to pick her head up to see what he was up to.<p>

It wasnt until she heard Grumpy's panic stricken voice and Kiri's loud laughing that she practically flew out of bed and threw the door open.

"Fraulein-" Kiri started, the joy in her eyes apparent as she turned her attention towards Monica.

The biker on the other hand reached for her small niece when she realized that she was sitting on the Joker's lap. She pulled her away from him quickly despite the fake hurt look that he threw at her.

"Dont you dare come near her again," Monica growled, pulling Kiri close to her. The Joker on the other hand shook his head at her in a dismisive manner and smiled at Kiri before winking at the small child.

Grumpy uttered a sigh of relief when he finally saw Kiri away from the madman. He had been trying to coax her away from him since the moment she arrived and saw him.

There was something about the clown that had caught her attention, however, and she had refused to leave his side.

"But Frau, we were doing card tricks," Kiri whined, pouting as she looked back at the clown who merely smiled and waved at her despite the glare that Monica was directing at him.

"Just stay away from him for now, Kiri, please," Monica told her, explaining as best as she possibly could without telling her everything. The biker didnt want her to know that she and the clown were the reason that she no longer had a mother.

She led Kiri away from him and back into her room. Lucifer had called her earlier to inform her that he would be dropping her off for a few hours while the club ran some errands. She couldnt believe that it had slipped her mind.

With the recent events, however, it wasnt strange that her mind was somewhere else.

"Uncle Lu said he would be by tomorrow morning to pick me up," Kiri explained, making Monica nod. She sat up with the small child throughout the nigh, listening to everything she said. Her mind tried to forget about the clown in the next room who was probably listening in on their conversation.

Monica could feel her heart sink when Kiri talked about her mother and how Lucifer had told her that she had gone up to heaven to join her father. She frowned ever so slightly when she saw Kiri's eyes glaze over with tears.

It surprised her that Kiri had taken the news so well. Then again, she had been born into a family where death was quite common, she had been taught better despite being 5 years old.

"I love you," Monica whispered, tucking her in when exhaustion finally took its toll on her. Kiri watched her soon to be mother through half lidded eyes. The biker leaned forward and kissed her forehead just as she fell asleep and placed the comforter over her small form.

"Im sorry," she whispered, turning away from the resting child unable to look at her due to her own guilt. She rose from the bed quietly and headed out of the room as she left the door open so that a small crack of light made its way into the dark space.

"Doll-"

Monica's head snapped over to him when she heard his voice. Before she cold stop herself she felt her body betray her and stalk over to him. Her hands clenched around his coat and pulled him up off of the chair that he sat in.

"If you ever touch her again, I will kill you," she hissed, barring her teeth at him as she spoke. The clown blinked, unaware of what she was saying until she let him go. Her words echoed in his head again and again.

He wouldnt put it past her to try and kill him.

And, oh, how he wished she would try.

Somewhere in his twisted mind, however, he understood why she had suddenly turned so deffensive around him.

He corrupted everything he came into contact with.

Everything.

"Dont ya even wanna know how my day went?" he asked, cracking a smile at her as she walked away from him with a disgusted look on her face.

"Indulge me," she replied sarcasitcally, pouring tequila into a shot glass and twirling it in her hand.

"I'd rather not, it would ruin the surprise," he commented, clicking his tounge before he fell over and stretched out on the couch.

Monica rolled her eyes at him, she didnt know what she had expected. Of course he wasnt going to tell her where he had gone or what he had done.

She turned her attention onto Blade when she felt him staring at her.

He shook his head at her when she tilted her head at him questioningly.

Now that she thought about it, he had been gone for the whole day as well. She had seen him leave with the clown so he probably knew what the madman was up to.

She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Her tired eyes drifted over to the window when she registered movement and smiled sadly at the first flakes of snow that had begun to fall once more over Gotham.

The tequila in her glass was long forgotten about as she moved towards the window and stared out of it for a few minutes.

The clown watched her with disinterest before closing his eyes and attempting to get some sleep. A small smile crept up his face when he realized that she only had two more days to live.

Two more days until the Dollmaker was finally his.

He pulled out one of his many knives and twirled it around in his hand. His only regret was the fact that he wouldnt be the one to kill her.

Two more days until she was no longer his problem.

He wondered how long she would last when Black Mask and the German got a hold of her.

Two more days until she was finally dead.

That and only that managed to get a low chuckle from the back of his throat before he finally succumbed to exhaustion like everyone else in the apartment.

She wasnt his problem anymore.

Her life was out of his hands.

Monica turned away from the window when she had finally managed to calm her thoughts and headed towards her room as well.

She tossed a blanket over the Joker as she passed by and watched as his lips dipped down into a small frown when his body registered the warm fabric.

She reached for his hand and took the knife away before placing it on the table beside him and heading back into her room after getting a glass of water.

She curled up on the small leather sofa that rested beside the bed where Kiri was and managed to fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

The rest of the night was uneventful except for the occasional gunshot in the distance and the crumbling of buildings.

She woke to Kiri's voice the next morning.

The small child was greeting the clown as he entered the room.

As much as Monica wanted to wake up then and there her body wouldnt allow it. Her eyelids closed once more and her head dropped back against the armrest in defeat and exhaustion.

She knew Grumpy would look after Kiri until she woke, she trusted the goon with her life.

The clown merely covered her with the same blanket that she had tossed over him and walked out of the room, motioning for Kiri to be quiet with a finger to his lips.

He then motioned her over to him and closed the door behind them.

They were going to have some fun before the biker woke up.

He was going to teach her what he knew best.

Chaos.

**Review! **


	68. Whatever You Want

**Whatever You Want**

**A/N: Well here's the next update. Its more of a filler chappie than anything else. Please pardon your author, Im still getting in the swing of things. Ive been battling writers block since five chapters back and I just cant overcome it. Enjoy the chappie my dears, I literally got a headache while writing it XD**

**Oh and make sure to read the little note at the end! **

Blade's eyes stayed intently on the clown as he watched the madman place a loaded gun in Kiri's small hands. Grumpy stepped forward in order to do something about the latest development but stopped when the Joker turned his piercing gaze onto him.

"If they ever get too close," the clown whispered in hear ear, crouching beside her, "you pull here and bang!"

Kiri's eyes widened in amazement as he wrapped a hand around both of her own and gripped the heavy gun while pointing it at Happy. The goon shifted uncomfortably, trying to decide if he should stay put or dive out of the way.

"They wont get back up to hurt you," the Joker laughed pulling his hand back, mocking the feel of the recoil as Happy jumped and felt the blood drain from his face. Kiri smiled back at the madman and nodded in understanding.

Kiri felt the heavy gun in her hands drag her down when the clown released her hands and left her to carry it by herself. She would make a note to remember everything he had taught her and keep it to herself. Her fraulein would not approve of what he had managed to teach her in a single day.

"Isnt it dangerous for her to be running around with that?" Happy questioned, running away from Kiri when she ran towards him with the gun.

"Not as dangerous as her not knowing how to use one," Blade commented, watching as a Cheshire grin spread through the clown's features when Kiri cornered Happy and Grumpy. The pair of goons pressed their bodies up against the wall behind them and tired to get the child to lower the gun that she had raised towards them.

Even if she decided to pull the trigger there was no way that the bullet would leave the chamber, the clown had made sure to put the safety on first.

A sharp knock coming from the door, however, caused all heads to snap towards it.

"Open it," the clown ordered, gripping the gun that he had hidden inside of his coat while pushing Kiri behind the couch with the tip of his shoe.

"Where is she?" Lucifer snapped, shoving the door open as Happy stumbled back and let them in once he realized who they were.

"Uncle Lu!" Kiri exclaimed, running out of her hiding spot and into the biker's arms. Three more men stepped in after the biker, looking over the apartment with disinterest in their eyes.

"Where's Monica?" Lucifer questioned, looking over the clown's shoulder for his president.

"She's taking a shower," Blade replied, motioning towards the bedroom. Lucifer's brow rose in suspicion as he crossed the living room and opened the door to see if they were telling the truth.

After hearing the running water coming from the bathroom he stepped out of the room and kept his gaze on the clown. Kiri ran from his arms and into the madman's hold while giggling as they waited for Monica to come out.

The Joker's eyes slowly closed as he bounced the small child on his leg who in turn laughed with glee much to Lucifer's dismay.

The clown's mind was hardly paying attention to his surroundings, its was more preoccupied with the deadline that he was expected to keep.

He had one day to turn her over.

One more day until he had what he wanted.

"Well isnt this one big family reunion," A voice near the doorway chuckled as guns were drawn. As soon as Monica stepped through the doorway her whole body froze when she saw who it was.

Kiri found herself ushered behind the clown and into Grumpy's hold moments before the ex-psychologist tossed a smoke bomb with hallucinogen gas into the room.

Monica coughed and used the towel that she had been drying her hair with to breathe through. She could feel the gas start to affect her and sting her eyes. The goons around her had been reduced to shivering men and her own bikers were cowering from their own fears.

It wasnt until a piercing shriek reached her hears that she felt panic assault her senses.

"Fraulein!" Kiri cried, feeling Scarecrow wrap his arms around her small frame and pull her towards the door. Monica stumbled forward when she saw this and tried to shake the effects of the gas. She wasnt going to let him take her, Gotham had already taken enough.

"Get up," the clown growled, grabbing her arm harshly as he shoved her out the door. The pair could see Scarecrow hand Kiri off to his men at the end of the hall.

Monica fought back tears of horror when Kiri's cries reached her ears. She was calling for her, there was no way she was going to fail her child.

The Joker on the other hand took the gun out of her hand and fired a few shots after the small group. He sneered when he failed to hit Scarecrow but managed wound one of his men.

He stalked over to the downed hired gun and gripped him harshly, demanding answers.

"Where are they, boy?" the clown hissed, shaking the man in his his hold. The other merely laughed at the Joker and refused to say a word. Monica tried to catch her breath and stumbled over to them in desperation.

"Where are they?" the clown asked once more, taking the man's hair into one of his hands and ramming his face up against the wall.

"The Ice Ber-"the other started to reply, moments before the clown rammed his knife through his neck and tore open his throat. He then turned to look at Monica who was shaking uncontrollably.

"Kiri, where's Kiri?" she cried, unable to handle her emotions with the effects of the gas clouding her thoughts. She registered the Joker grabbing her neck as he led her down the hall in a rush.

When they stepped outside they managed to catch a sight of Scarecrow getting into one of three vans that had been waiting for them.

"Mami!" Kiri cried, struggling against his men as they threw her into another truck. Monica felt her heart break when she saw Kiri's tearstricken face. No child should have to go through what she had lived in mere hours.

Her body started to hyperventilate as the Joker grabbed her and threw her over towards one of the Escalades. Her unbalanced body stumbled over and slammed into the hood as she stuggled to open the door.

"Enough," he snarled at her when she finally managed to seat herself next to him. He gripped her jacket and slammed her head back againt the glass window next to her in an attempt to get her to come back down to earth.

Monica could feel blood run down her temple from where he had managed to bust her brow and crack the window.

She barely reigstered the van moving, it was only when she heard the clown yelling at her that she managed to pull herself together for Kiri's sake.

"The wheel, beautiful," he snapped as he climbed out of the window with a pair of small machine guns in his hands. Monica tried to steer as her senses became compleatly overloaded. The shots from the guns, the screeching of tires, the shattering of windows, the shouts, and the red tailights were all coursing through her mind.

It wasnt until she heard several crashes that she realized that the clown was climbing back in and slamming down on the breaks.

"Get out," he growled at her, stepping out calmly as he reloaded his guns. Monica struggled to open the door and fell onto the pavement when she tried to step out.

When she saw the three crashed vehicles in front of her, however, her own body picked itself up and rushed over.

"Kiri!" Monica cried, tearing through the corpses of the dead gunmen in the first car. The Joker merely watched as she moved to the second car and moved the bodies aside frantically.

"Fraulein?" Kiri's weak voice called out, catching Monica's attention. The biker turned back and ran over to the third car. She smiled weakly when she saw Kiri reaching out for her from the backseat.

Monica pulled her out and hugged her tightly before pulling back in order to see if she had any injuries. Upon finding none, she uttered a sigh of relief and looked back when she heard the familiar rumble of bikes approaching.

The Joker turned back to see Scarecrow crawling out of one of the wrecked cars and stumbling into an alley. The madman didnt bother in following him, he knew where he was going.

It had to have been the Dollmaker who sent him.

"Take her back to the clubhouse," Monica's voice ordered, snapping the Joker out of his thoughts. He turned to see her handing Kiri off to her men after comfirming that she was fine. "No one gets near her unless Im present, understand?"

Her men nodded and drove off with Kiri, they had just been entrusted with their President's only living relative. The faster they got to the safety of the clubhouse the better.

She walked over to him after they had all left and stared off in the direction that he was facing, trying to figure out what was eating away at him as of late.

"We should leave," she whispered to him, afraid of startling him, "they're bound to come back with more men."

The clown merely nodded and threw the keys at her. He wasnt in the mood to drive after the little chase that they had just had moments ago. His nerves were shot.

She remained silent the rest of the drive back, noticing how he kept shifting every five seconds.

By the time they pulled up he basically had to drag his body out of the car and up the stairs once more. When they reached the apartment it didnt faze her that all of his goons were gone.

She set the keys down over the kitchen counter and turned to look at him with weary eyes.

It dawned on her then and there that he had just helped her without having anything to gain.

"Hey," she called after him, causing him to pause near the doorway of their shared bedroom. She walked up to him with a lowered head, realizing that she would have been dead without him there to protect her.

"What do you want, doll?" he questioned, cracking his neck as he stared down at her.

"Thank you," she told him, genuinely appreciating everything he had done for her, "for everything."

He merely grunted at her and turned away, walking into the bedroom in an attempt to get some sleep and clear his mind for tomorrow night. He pulled out a knife and started to twirl it in irritation.

She followed after him, wanting to retrieve a sweater from her closet and leave as soon as she had it. She could sense that he wanted some space, she wasnt going to try and push her luck with him tonight, he had already done enough.

The clown paused and watched as she found what she had been looking for. She looked frail to him at the moment, waiting to break as soon as Gotham sent her another trial.

It was going to be the last night that she would be with him and something about that didnt sit well with him.

He approached her silently and caught her by surprise as a gasp left her lips when his arm constricted around her waist. The other hand rammed the knife in his hand inches from her face into the dry wall.

"Joker?" she questioned, afraid of touching him. She could see a glint of rage in his eyes that made her want to run out of the room while she still could. Her body went stiff in his hold, horrified of his unpredictable mood swings.

The fact that he would never see her cowering from beneath him bothered him. The grip around her waist increased when reality started to sink in.

He didnt want to let go of the memories of seeing her tear streaked face staring back at his laughing façade. He didnt want to forget the feeling of her trembling lips against his scars.

He didnt want to forget.

"Joker," she cried, the pain increasing as she tried to get him to let go. She could see the turmoil in his eyes, whatever it was, it was slowly killing him inside.

His goons would run wild without her there to keep them under control. Grumpy would fall apart and the Bat wouldnt hesitate to kill him once he traced her death back to him.

He needed to let her go.

"Jack!" she cried, seeing no other way to get his attention as her pale hands gripped his vest. The clown's eyes shot towards her when he heard his name. Monica uttered a sigh of relief when the grip around her waist decreased and dropped her head against his chest.

She sighed loudly and pulled back to look at the madman in her arms.

"Im right here," she whispered to him, reaching up to cup his cheek in an attempt to calm him.

She was there with him, he realized this, but not for long.

"Im not going anywhere," she added, trying to steady his nerves. The last thing she wanted was for him to loose control over himself. She had seen what he had done to Harley whenever she pushed him too far.

She didnt want to end up with any broken bones or new bruises.

The clown laughed when he heard her comment, of course she wasnt going anywhere.

Not if he had a say in it.

Monica merely felt her nerves steady when he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. She leaned forward and kissed him suddenly, catching him off guard.

She laughed as he fell back and allowed her to straddle his waist. Monica stared down at him and tilted her head at his strange behavior.

Despite this he merely allowed her to do whatever she wanted, seeing as how it would be the last night he would spend with her.

No matter what happened, nothing was going to change his mind. He was going to trade her for the Dollmaker and move on with his plan like he always did.

"Tell me something, doll," his drowsy voice commented as he turned his head away from her and pulled the comforter away. Monica turned to look at him in irritation and tried to pull it back.

"What?" she replied, finding it strange that he wasnt sleeping by then and actually taking the time to converse with her.

"What do you get from all of this?" he questioned, annoyed with the fact that most of his makeup was smeared all over the pillow and on her skin. Monica picked her head up and looked at his calm figure next to her. It dumbfounded her that he was even asking her that question.

"Well, I like to think that when this is all done I'll be able to go back to my mother's birthplace," she replied, shivering as she pulled his dress shirt up off the floor and tossed it over her figure.

"Do con-tin-ue," he replied reveling in the warmth that the comforter provided. He could feel his sore muscles slowly relax as sleep started to slowly take a hold of him. The fact that she was cold and he was perfectly warm brought a smile to his face.

"I want to have a mansion," she yawned, "with a pair of hyenas so their laughter will remind me of you."

This caught his attention.

He cracked open an eye and turned to look at her exhausted figure beside him. The act made a sharp pain shoot down his back when he recalled the deep scratches that her nails had left behind.

"I want some horses and some cute bunny slippers..." she mumbled more asleep than awake. Monica knew she was rambling by then. She turned her body towards him and wrapped her legs around one of his.

The clown chuckled at this and turned his face away from her once more. It was a shame that she wouldnt get to live long enough to see her dream come true.

Not that he cared.

He never did.

And he never would.

** So there it is, I apologize for the clown being too soft in this one. I'll make sure to bring back his madness in the next chapter because thats where its all going to go down. On a different note, last night I had the weirdest dream. **

**So I was at an abandoned meat factory with the clown and apparently running from the law. It was pitch black everywhere and snowing ash for some reason. So in order to get away from the cops and the cold weather, we go inside and somehow end up locked inside a meat fridge that still works for some reason. **

**One thing leads to the next and I totally end up making out with him for some reason. That escalates quickly and you guys can use your imagination for the rest but I just thought it was so weird, maybe because I've been stressing out over this story for so long. **

**And the fact that got to me was him. He was like a mix of Heath Ledger's Joker with the make up and the Joker from Arkham City (the game) when he's fine and not sick. It was so weird, I just felt like sharing it with you guys. **

**If any of you have had this feel free to share if you want, I just wanna make sure Im not the only one XD **

**Either way, I want your guy's input on this, is there anything you wanna see happen? Jut let me know. **

**Oh, and dont forget to review!**


	69. Your Guilt

**Your Guilt**

**A/N: It took me forever to get this one out guys, but Im happy with how it turned out, let me know what you guys think! With that said, enjoy!**

Monica was the first to stir, her body aching in protest as she tried to move. She stopped as soon as she felt the firm vice of the clown's arm holding her down.

Startled, she turned her head to look back at him, surprised to find him there still. He was usually gone long before she woke.

She tried to pry herself away from him but failed again, her body falling back against the bed with a sigh. Taking advantage of the moment, her attention shifted onto the sleeping madman in her bed.

He seemed calm to an extent when he was resting. She didnt relax, however, for all she knew he could wake in an instant and stab her if he wanted to.

A light laugh left her lips when she noted that their bodies were a tangle of limbs and sheets. The clown shifted at the soft noise slightly, making Monica freeze in fear of waking him. Much to her surprise, a sigh left his lips before the arm around her waist pulled her closer to him.

She felt a sense of intimacy being so close to him. One of her hands reached up to caress the left scar on his face hesitantly.

The Joker flinched upon feeling her touch and leaned closer to her, completely oblivious to her actions.

She lived for moments like these, for a chance to be near him without fear of being turned away from.

Her body leaned in, knowing that she would never have the chance to catch him off guard again and placed a light kiss on his scarred lips. She pulled away before she stirred him from his sleep and glanced over his figure to the clock on the nightstand beside them.

It read 11 PM.

She had slept the day away.

Upon realizing this, her body pulled away from the clown, managing to escape his grip after a few seconds. She used one of the sheets and wrapped it around her body before heading over to the bathroom.

Once inside, she turned the water on and gave the door a light push, failing to realize that it hadn't closed. The sheet around her body pooled beneath her as she stepped into the hot stream of water.

The drowsy feeling that had threatened to send her back to bed was now gone. Instead, she concentrated on rubbing small circles around her hips with her hand where dark purple bruises stood out against her pale skin.

She failed to notice the door opening but shuddered when a cold breeze hit her back unexpectedly. A startled gasp left her lips when she registered the clown's lips on her neck.

Her words died in her throat as she felt him bite down on her shoudler. It dawned on her that her absence and the noise from the shower must have woken him up, the last thing she had expected him to do was to join her.

Her head dropped back against his chest with a sigh as his arms constricted around her waist. He smiled against the back of her neck when her breathing hitched upon having his hands ghost over the bruises that he had left the night before.

A low moan left his lips when he purposefully applied pressure and was rewarded with her nails digging into his wrists as a warning.

Monica turned around, trying to get some answers as to why he was acting so unlike his usual self but stopped when his lips crashed down onto hers messily. He pressed her up against the cold tile of the shower and smiled when she lost all form of reasoning.

When she pulled back she could see that his makeup was fading rapidly with the combination of the water and her own hand.

A frown settled on her lips when he pulled away from her and left her breathless. She missed the warmth of his body and the friction.

"Joker," she breathed, reaching for him with trembling hands as the clown tilted his head at her playfully. He needed to hear her beg, needed to see her suffer just a little longer.

"Hm?" he replied, shivering when he felt her desperate touch.

Monica sighed in discontent, he always got a kick out of making her work for what she wanted.

"Is there something that you needed, doll?" he whispered into her ear, trying to hold himself back as a strangled moan reached his ears when his lips brushed over her jaw.

"You," she replied breathlessly, struggling to believe her own ears. There she was, reduced to a panting mess by a single man.

"Im sorry, beautiful," the clown laughed mockingly, "what was that?"

"I want you," she whimpered, feeling his hands roam all over her body. She was struggling to stay standing. No matter how much she tried to deny it, her whole body screamed for the man a few inches away from her.

"You're gonna have to be louder, dear," the Joker replied, clawing his hand down her back causing her to arch into him with a loud moan.

"I need you," she growled, lust filled eyes glaring at him, "just take me."

The clown looked down at her with a smug look in his eyes, feeling a jolt of arousal upon seeing her beg for him.

"Fair enough," he replied, raising a brow in curiosity when she turned her back to him and pressed her palms up against the tile. She looked back at him expectantly with a impatience written all over her features as he chuckled and shook his head.

His hands slid down her back and settled over her waist before he leaned forward. Monica shuddered when she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"Turn around," he growled into her ear, waiting for her to do as she was told. Monica instantly furrowed her brow upon hearing him and hesitantly did as she was told.

As much as he had admired the view that he had before he wanted more. He wanted to see her face when he claimed her as his. He needed to see her throw her head back and scream his name in pure ecstasy one last time.

"Up," he ordered, tapping the back of her thigh as she obeyed and wrapped her legs around his waist. A loud scream left her lips when he entered her without a warning.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck as she clenched her eyes shut and tried to relax her body. His knuckles turned white as he held her up and waited for her to ease her tense muscles.

"You bastard," she mewled, grinding her hips against his when she no longer felt pain. The look of pleasure that washed over the Joker's face when she moved was enough to prompt her to repeat the action.

Unable to control himself any further, the clown met the movement of her hips with his own, causing her to moan loudly and dig her nails into his back.

Monica lost all sense of control, all she could register was the pleasure that overwhelmed her senses. She was a complete mess whenever it came to the clown, her pleading cries and desperate kisses were proof of the effect that he had on her.

She bit his shoulder in an attempt to stifle another scream of pleasure that threatened to leave her lips.

The clown pulled back when the felt her body tense around him. Her eyes closed and her head dropped back as a look of pure ecstasy washed over her as she called out his name loudly.

The grip that she held on his hair became painfully blissful as her legs tightened around his waist.

It as the most beautiful and alluring thing he had ever seen.

The mere sight of having her come undone before him sent him over the edge.

He nearly dropped his hold on her as he tried to get his labored breathing under control. Monica felt proud upon seeing him disheveled, she knew she was the lone cause of his current state.

She sighed when he finally lowered her down carefully and allowed her to leave his side. Without saying a word she went about taking a shower like she had originally planned with the exception of having him in there with her.

After she was done she turned to look at him with a sheepish grin on her face.

"Harley never did that, did she?" Monica teased, handing him the soap before she stepped out and wrapped a towel around her small frame. The clown stared after her, a smile tugging at the edge of his scarred lips.

It was a shame that it would be the last time he experienced it with her.

Monica merely exited out of the bathroom and changed before sitting on the bed and drying her hair. She turned her attention towards the bathroom when the clown stepped out fully dressed.

Her body tensed and her eyes remained glued on his face when she noticed that he didnt have any make up on. Before she could even ask he threw a couple of the grease cans at her and sat down in front of her.

Monica couldnt help but smile when he rested his back against the headboard and pulled her towards him. She straddled his waist without complaint and sat back for a few moments.

She knew it was wrong to even be near him, to take part in his plans, to support his every move. But she didnt care, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she wanted to be beside him.

She always had.

Her hands reached down for the white grease paint and paused before she started to apply it onto his face. She let out a small sigh as soon as her fingers brushed over his skin.

"Doll, this isnt a Hollywood movie, we arent striving for perfection," the clown commented, noting the way that she took her time applying the coat of white onto his face.

"Close your eyes, already," she ordered, smacking his chest as the clown obliged and rested his hands on her hips. He made sure to memorize how her touch felt as he massaged the skin underneath his hands.

Monica placed the black aside and moved on to the red, feeling him tense as soon as she made contact with his scars.

She bit her lower lip as she tried to concentrate and finish her job. A deep blush fell over her cheeks when she heard him growl and lean into her. The hand that she had placed over his chest felt the vibrations as she pulled back and looked at her work.

"Its better than the job you do," she laughed lightly, getting off of the bed despite wanting to stay with him a little longer. The clown scoffed at her comment and rose after her in one swift move, picking his jacket up off the floor and slipping into it.

"We have work to do," he snapped, walking past her towards the door. Monica looked after him before walking out as well, picking up her jacket on the way out.

"Boss?" Grumpy questioned, rising from the stool near the kitchen counter as Happy and Chuckles turned to look at him as well.

The Joker ignored the trio and turned to look at Blade who merely nodded and stood while grabbing the keys of the truck.

Monica glanced at Blade who avoided all eye contact with her and followed after the clown as he headed out of the appartment without saying another word.

"You want us to come with?" Happy questioned, getting a bad feeling as soon as he saw Blade's shoulders tense upon hearing the question.

"The boss dosent want any of you with him," the younger goon replied before he shut the door behind him and left them all speechless.

"Where are we going?" Monica asked, once they were in the truck and she noticed the lack of goons that the clown was bringing.

Something about that didnt sit well with her.

"Meeting," Blade replied before the clown could, trying to ease her mind. The last thing he needed was for her to catch on.

The goon eyed the clown who ignored all of his glances the entire ride there.

As soon as they stepped out of the car a cold breeze assaulted them from the docks beside them. The dim lighting outisde of the warehouse did little to warm their bodies up.

Monica's blood froze as soon as she recognized a black Rolls Royce pull up in front of them. She stepped back only to be held in place by the clown who gripped her arm painfully.

She could feel her panic rise as soon as she recognized the two figures that stepped out after the driver opened the back doors.

"No," she whispered, her eyes wide with horror as she tried to run once more. The clown's jaw clenched as he refused to look at her and held her forecefully.

A black escalade pulled up behind the first car and Black Mask stepped out with a light chuckle as he walked over to them and clapped at the clown.

"I must say, I didnt think you'd pull through, J," the masked man commented in amazement, reaching for Monica who immediately turned away from him.

The clown refused to ease his grip as he turned to look at the two other figures that approached them silently.

"As promised," Goeth smiled, nodding to two of his men who reached inside of the escalade and pulled out a body. Monica could see the Dollmaker's attire gleam underneath the lighting as he was handed off to Blade.

The younger goon secured his grip around the Dollmaker and nodded to the clown who merely shoved Monica forward into Black Mask's waiting arms.

"You didnt tell her did you?" Victoria laughed, seeing Monica's horrified expression as she realized that she was being traded. She tried to get the clown's attention but realized that he was disregarding her completely. She was speechless, too shocked to fight.

"Cold as ever, clown," Black Mask added, leaning in to smell the neck of the woman in his grasp as his hands trailed underneath the black shirt that she was wearing.

Monica seemed to finally snap out of her shock induced state and elbowed him in the face.

"I love a fighter," the masked man chuckled, pulling her closer to him, noting the way that the clown was ignoring them.

Blade kept switching his gaze back and forth between her and the clown, trying to figure out what was going through the Joker's mind.

"Velcome back to the family, dear," Victoria commented, waltzing over to Monica as she dragged her nailed fingers down the other woman's cheek in an attempt to intimidate her.

Monica could feel tears sting her eyes as Black Mask started to pull her away towards the car.

"You cant do this," Monica cried, feeling betrayed as she tried to get the clown to look at her. He didnt even flinch, much less look. He merely turned towards the car without saying another word.

"Oh dear, didnt mama ever teach you somezhing useful? Never fall in love vith a man who only cares about himself," Victoria shushed, wiping a tear away from Monica's cheek as she saw Blade hesitate and look at her before turning as well with the Dollmaker in his arms.

"Traitor!" Monica yelled, finding the strength to fight against Black Mask when she saw the clown pause.

"I should have let you bleed out!" she screamed, spitting at his feet. He didnt realize the hell that she was about to be put through at the hands of Goeth. He couldnt even being to fathom the pain that the German was going inflict upon her before killing her.

"You really should have known better, darling," Black Mask whispered sympathetically in her ear as she shook her head in disbelief at the clown who hadnt moved from his spot.

He cracked his neck apathetically and continued to walk towards the Escalade casually, ignoring the screams of the woman behind him.

"Trusting you was a mistake!" she cried, feeling her body slowly lose its will to fight. The clown closed his eyes and opened the door to the truck without uttering a single word.

His debt was paid, she was no longer his problem now.

Blade threw the Dollmaker in the back and made sure to immobilize him before pulling the keys out of his pocket and taking the drivers seat.

"Boss do you think it wise to leave her with them-"

"Drive," the Joker cut Blade off, his jaw set as he tapped his leg impaitently.

"But boss," Blade choked, seeing the way that Monica's body was slammed into the hood of one of the Escalades. Even from a distance he could see blood flow down from her broken nose.

"I said drive!" the clown barked, pulling out his gun before he pointed it at Blade's head. The younger goon glared back defiantly at the madman, wondering if he was making the right choice as Victoria's piercing laughter reached their ears.

Blade opted on staying silent and following the madman's orders, he was no good to anyone dead.

"Why is it that you kill everything you touch, one way or another, J?" Dollmaker asked from the back of the Escalade as a pained laugh left his lips. He had kept quiet the entire time due to the numerous shattered ribs that the German had given him.

The Joker's head snapped over to look at him warningly as Blade hesitated for a few more seconds before driving away.

He found it impossible to believe that the clown had just given his prized toy away.

"It's almost like Jeanie all over again," the Dollmaker chuckled, ignoring the clown's glare, "that girl loved you and you repay her by giving her away to Goeth."

The Joker's temper finally snapped and his finger pulled back on the trigger. The Dollmaker hissed when the bullet pierced his leg, he decided to stay silent instead of pushing the clown further.

The clown on the other hand was in a world of his own. Her words echoed through his head, refusing to let him enjoy the fact that he had the Dollmaker in his possession.

His hand trailed up to the side of his temple when a sharp pain shot through his head.

* * *

><p>"<em>What would you do if I was ever gone?" Jeanie asked, balancing on the tightrope above as she glanced down. Jack stared up at her from his position on the ground as he leaned up against one of the support poles of the tent.<em>

_The question had been swimming around in her mind for a couple of weeks, ever since the new acts had joined the circus. She wasnt blind, she had seen the way that the knife thrower looked at her whenever she walked by._

_She wanted to prepare for everything, no matter how absurd she looked while doing it. Anything could happen in a circus, she didnt want to be caught off guard by whatever life threw at her._

_"Hide in a cave and die alone in solitude, dear," he replied jokingly, finding it absurd that she would ever ask such a question._

_"Im being serious, Jack," she snapped, swaying to the right as she tried to keep her footing._

_"So am I," he laughed, trying to contain his amusement as she slipped off of the rope and fell onto the safety net below._

_"This is why I'll tell our kids to avoid marrying a circus clown," she commented as she climbed down, "they never take things seriously."_

_She was too tired to attempt another go at it and having him avoid all of her questions was starting to get the better of her._

_"Alright, I'll try to contain myself, doll," he chuckled, helping her down from the ladder as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the tip of his nose._

_"So what would you do?" she asked again, refusing to let him off the hook. She rarely had a chance to talk seriously with him._

_"I dont know," he answered truthfully, he hadnt given it much thought. Things like that simply didnt cross his mind. He liked to think that as long as he was there, no harm would ever come to her._

_Jeanie could sense the distress in his eyes as soon as he started to truly ponder the question. Her fragile hands reached up to cup his cheeks in an attempt to get him to look at her._

_"Look at me," she stated firmly, causing him to snap out of his thoughts, "I dont plan on leaving your side, darling."_

_He was about to open his mouth and demand an explination for her question but stopped when she placed a cool finger over his lips._

_"But if anything were to happen to me," she continued, "I would want you to be happy, to find someone else."_

_He shook his head at this, no one could ever replace her in his eyes._

_"When the day comes, and if I am no longer presesnt, you'll understand."_

* * *

><p><em>You'll understand<em>.

Before he could stop himself he brought his hand up and rammed it into the window beside him. Blade jumped in surprise and watched out of the corner of his eye as the glass cascaded down onto the clown's lap.

As a matter of fact, he didnt understand.

He never would.

As soon as they arrived at the apartment he stepped out of the van and reached back for the Dollmaker. He threw the other man down onto the pavement and proceeded to beat him until his knuckles felt sore.

"Look at you go," the masked man gurgled, choking on his own blood as the clown took out all of his frustrations on him.

The Joker sighed heavily, no longer enjoying the task of killing the Dollmaker. He had hoped to have Monica there to have some input on how he should be taken care of.

The clown stalked over to the back of the Escalade and pulled out a crowbar and a tank of gasoline before walking back.

He made sure to break every single rib with the crowbar before he started to douse the other man in the oily liquid. He had planned on prolonging the other man's death as much as he could. Now all he wanted to do was to rid himself of the Dollmaker as fast as he possibly could.

The man had killed Jeanie and now he had somehow managed to get him to seal Monica's fate as well. He wanted to kill him and move on with his plan like he always did.

"Open your mouth," the clown snarled, crouching down as he held the Dollmaker's beaten face in his hand. The other tried to refuse but ended up giving up when the clown applied pressure to his mutilated chest with one of his knees.

As soon as his mouth opened to let loose a scream the madman poured gasoline down his throat. He pulled away when he was finally content and took the cigarette that Blade had been smoking to calm his nerves.

He flicked it over to the Dollmaker's still form and stepped back when a mass of flames erupted around him. He could barely register the other man's screams above his own thoughts.

He pulled out his gun and unloaded his entire clip onto the Dollmaker without even looking as Blade's eye twitched visibly. He had never seen the clown act so recklessly.

"Clean it up," the Joker snapped, as he headed into the apartment without giving Blade a second glance. The young goon immediately pulled out his cell phone and called Grumpy.

"Get out, and make sure to avoid the boss."

With that he hung up and proceeded to cleaning up the mess that the clown had left behind. All he could do after he was done was stare up at the single light that was turned on in Monica's room and wonder what they were going to do now without her to keep him in check.

**Review! Come on guys, I know your out there reading this! Let me know what you thought, dont be shy! Till next time my dears. **


	70. You Knew All Along

**You Knew All Along**

**A/N: I've had terrible writers block by dears but I managed to write up what seems to be the last chapter. Have mercy on me, I managed to get it out as a Christmas present, pardon any typos, it's 5 AM and I havent slept. Enjoy!**

Blade paced nervously, his head turning towards the clown's room every so often. He could see that Grumpy was having a hard time with staying still as well.

"This is bullshit, I say we go and get her ourselves," Happy hissed in a low voice as Grumpy and Chuckles turned to look at him. Blade scoffed when he heard the other man, going after her meant crossing the clown.

"You're mad, he'll kill you as soon as he finds out," Blade snapped back, seeing the looks of enthusiasm on the other goon's faces. He shook his head at Happy, stepping in front of him in an attempt to block his way.

"What do you propose we do, then?" Grumpy snarled, pushing the young goon away from Happy, "wait until they send us her head through the mail?"

Blade bit his bottom lip upon hearing this. The other man had a point, they didn't have long. If they were going to do anything they needed to do it soon.

"Give him another hour," Blade pleaded, trying to reason with the group of men around him. Grumpy laughed bitterly and turned away from the young goon.

"Its been three hours already, do you have any idea what they're capable of doing to her in three hours?" Happy barked, trying to get his point across.

They all knew the reputation that the Germans had when it came to torturing and killing others.

Grumpy lit a cigarette and inhaled sharply trying to calm his nerves. The last thing he needed was to imagine what Goeth could be doing to Monica. He tapped his foot restlessly before closing his eyes and leaning back against the bloodied drywall of the apartment.

Chuckles shook his head and stood from the leather couch with a sigh. They were getting nowhere with their hushed argument other than getting on eachother's nerves.

"Whats the point, she's probably dead by now," another goon added before Grumpy's sharp gaze shot towards him. Happy moved forward and stopped Grumpy from lunging at the other man.

"Say that again!" Grumpy barked, trying to get his hands on the other goon who merely cowered away from him in fear. He could feel rage build up inside of him as the goon's words echoed through his mind.

Chuckles pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched a fight break out in a matter of seconds.

"All she ever did was drag us into her own problems!" the other man shouted back, causing two more to nod in agreement. Grumpy was seeing red by then, dragging Happy along as he tried to get a swing at the man who refused to back down.

"You'd be dead if it weren't for her!" Happy shouted back, reminding them of the countless times that she had stopped the clown from unloading a clip into them.

"Look at you," the goon pointed out, "by the way you're defending her you'd expect that you were the one she was screwing not the boss."

Grumpy felt his temper snap upon hearing this. Happy made no move to stop him and released him after hearing what the other man had just said.

Chuckles smiled when he saw the way that Grumpy's fist hit the other man's jaw. He stumbled back with the force of the hit and fell back into Blade's arms.

"Oh dear, Im sorry you must have slipped," the young goon chuckled, raising his arms and allowing the other man to fall back against the kitchen counter. He stepped aside when Grumpy stalked over to the downed goon.

"Serves him right," Chuckles whispered to Happy as they watched Grumpy ram the other man's face up against the marble counter and throw him towards the living room once more.

Blade merely pulled out his gun when he saw Grumpy pull his hand back to hit the other man once more.

Three shots rang out through the apartment.

Grumpy turned his startled eyes towards Blade when he saw three bullet wounds on the other man's chest.

"We dont have time for this," Blade explained, finding it absurd that they were wasting their energy on each other. Happy nodded in agreement and patted Grumpy on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Anyone else want to tell us why we should leave her with Goeth?" Blade asked, turning to the remaining goons who in turn shook their head furiously. He lowered the gun in his hand after seeing this and turned towards the bedroom when he heard a dull thud come from behind the door.

His expectant eyes never left the doorknob.

He watched and waited, hoping that it would turn.

* * *

><p>The clown peeled his leather glove off with his teeth painfully. A shudder ran through his body when the material from it brushed up against the large gash that the glass from the shattered window had left behind.<p>

He turned on the cold water and let it run for a few seconds before placing his hand underneath it and hissing loudly. The red tint that had smeared all across his palm swirled down the sink in a pink hue as he cleaned the wound harshly.

He had never been the one to take his time with cuts of that manner.

That had been Monica's job.

He closed his eyes at the memory of her cool fingers brushing over his scars and shuddered again when he realized that she was nothing but a memory to him now. He didn't need her, he never had.

He shut the water off and stalked out of the bathroom, pressing a towel into his palm in a crude attempt to stop the bleeding.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember what she did first whenever he got a cut of that size. Did she disinfect the wound first or stitch it up and then disinfect it?

An irritated growl left his lips as he tossed the towel over her pillow on the bed and reached for a black shirt that rested over the leather chair beside him. He tore the material without even glancing at it twice and wrapped it around his hand as a makeshift tourniquet.

He tightened it by biting down on one end and pulling with his free hand on the other end. Upon having the piece of cloth so close to him he immediatly realized that it had belonged to her. It had her scent, the unmistakable combination of gasoline from him and green apples from her shampoo.

He snorted in annoyance and clicked his tongue before releasing the fabric and glancing around the room for the first time without her there. Despite the fact that it felt dull and void of life he smiled, it was perfect.

His smile dropped as soon as her phone went off loudly next to him. Tiredly, he picked it up and denied the call with a flick of his finger before staring at her background. It was a picture of her, Chuckles, Happy, Blade, and Grumpy in the living room.

A sneer appeared on his lips when he noticed that she was sitting in Grumpy's lap while kissing his cheek affectionately. The three other goons surrounded the pair with wide grins on their faces.

It seemed like forever since he had seen his men so happy. He tossed the device in his hand aside without glancing at it again and turned to look at the window.

"We're better off without you, doll," he chuckled to himself, feeling better about her absence as the minutes went by. He was perfectly fine with the Germans torturing and killing her. He had to qualms about her suffering before she died, they could do whatever they wanted.

He turned his head towards the door when it opened suddenly and revealed an outraged Poison Ivy.

"What have you done?" she snarled, walking angrily towards him. The Joker grinned from ear to ear when he saw her lunge at him.

"I did what was expected, Red," the clown replied raising his hands in surrender as she grabbed his coat and shook him violently. The Joker scoffed at her handling and grabbed one of her arms before pulling it behind her back.

Ivy screamed in pain as he rammed her against the window and broke the glass. Her free hand clawed at the windowsill desperately as half of her body was shoved out of the broken frame. The cool winter air assaulted her and whipped her hair against her face as the clown chuckled madly behind her.

"You've forgotten who your talking to," the clown snarled into her ear. It surprised him that she had the audacity to come for him in such a manner. Without Monica there to defend her, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"You're the one we should have called Two-Face," Ivy shouted back, struggling against him. She could feel her feet leaving the ground as the clown pushed her further out of the window. Her breathing came in short rasps as she looked down and noticed the four story drop that awaited her.

The Joker tilted his head upon hearing her words and faked releasing her only to hear a scream tear through her lips. Ivy's hands grasped at the edges of the windowsill for dear life, ignoring the glass that stuck out and cut her skin as she tried to hold on.

"I had no more use for her," the clown shot back, sighing when a cold breeze drifted into the room. Ivy turned her head to look back at him in disbelief.

Monica had been the only thing that kept him sane.

He needed her, he always had.

"You're crazy," Ivy shouted back at him, kicking him off with a swift motion of her leg. The clown stumbled back and laughed at her accusation before bowing mockingly at her as soon as she managed to climb back into the room.

"Can ya' tell me something I didn't know already?" he sang tauntingly, grinning from ear to ear as Ivy resisted the urge to choke him in desperation. Every second that she spent arguing with him could be used for rescuing Monica.

"You want me to tell you something you don't already know?" Ivy growled, walking over to him while gritting her teeth.

"Indulge me," the clown replied, running his tongue over his bottom lip. Ivy shook her head at him before swallowing hard and telling him everything that she had held back before.

"You need her," Ivy whispered to him, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him. His face had gone blank as soon as the words left her lips. "She's the only one who keeps you sane, the only one who stops you from losing yourself entirely."

"What's wrong with insanity, doll?" the clown chuckled, interrupting her as Ivy sighed and walked over to him once more.

"She's the only one who has seen and accepted the real man underneath all of that makeup," Ivy added, catching his attention briefly before he blew off her comment with another dry laugh. He merely hoped that she would get the drift, she was getting nowhere with her little lecture.

He didn't care what she said or who she quoted.

He wasn't going to rescue her.

He was going to let her die.

"You let Harley die," Ivy continued, stopping when she was in front of him. His eyes focused back on her when she said this.

She had his attention.

"She needs you, don't let her die," Ivy told him, hoping to finally get through to him. Her hopes fell when she saw the wide smile that spread across his scarred lips as soon as she was done talking.

"What was the point of this speech, Red?" the Joker questioned, walking away from her, "I stopped listening after the whole sanity part."

Ivy sighed upon hearing him and closed her eyes. She was done talking with him, Blade had been wrong about the clown all along. He wasn't going to change his mind, in fact, Ivy wouldn't put it past him to go and help Goeth kill her himself.

She left without glancing back at him, knowing that he wasn't going to help her. If she wanted to do something she was going to have to do it alone.

The clown watched her leave and moved towards the window when the sight of her blood staining the glass caught his attention.

No sooner had he touched it and smeared it between his fingers a splitting pain tore through his head once more. He growled in irritation knowing full well what it meant by now.

He tried to repress it, the last thing he needed was a trip down memory lane right after he had gotten rid of Monica. She was usually the one that brought him out of his flashbacks.

A hiss left his lips when he failed to contain it.

* * *

><p><em>"Jack," Jeanie's voice called softly as she tried to wake the man next to her. He grunted in response but made no attempt to fully wake up.<em>

_She sighed as the grip that he held around her waist tightened as he pulled her closer to his chest. She had a show to get ready for in ten minutes, she couldn't afford to be late._

_"Darling," she called, shaking him more as he lazily cracked open one eye and looked at her wearily, "I need to go."_

_He shook his head and drifted off into sleep once more. He didn't want her to leave, he hated sleeping alone._

_Jeanie laughed before she leaned in and kissed his lips softly. She smiled against him when he sighed and finally allowed her to slip away from his hold. He watched her as she rose from the bed gracefully and moved to her dresser._

* * *

><p>The clown's brow furrowed when the images started to blur. He could see Jeanie's mouth moving but no sound came out. He tried his best to figure out what she was trying to say but stopped when her image was replaced with another.<p>

His whole body stiffened and his blood ran cold as soon as he realized what was happening.

Brief images of Monica flashed before his eyes, he could hear her voice ringing in his ears and feel her body heat all around him.

_"Jack,"_ her voice whispered in his ear as he closed his eyes and tried to shake the memory away. He could feel her fingers brush over his skin and caress his trademark glasgow smile. A shaky breath left his lips at the feeling of it.

He remembered her lying next to him the previous night, staring at him with something that he thought he'd never see again since Jeanie, adoration. He clenched his eyes as he recalled her leaning in to kiss him, thinking that he was asleep.

His hand clenched and unclenched over the armrest of the chair as he tilted his head and tried to push all thoughts related to her aside.

The wound on his palm opened and started to bleed through the tourniquet he had made.

For a brief moment, in order to ease the pain that he was in, the thought of going back for her crossed his mind. He had suffered too many broken bones for her to be killed by anyone other than himself. He had bled more than he deemed acceptable ever since they met, he wanted to see her bleed the same amount before she died.

His eyes opened sharply upon realizing this.

He needed to kill her _himself_ if he hoped to get her out of his mind.

"You're my wildcard, doll," he laughed bitterly. He couldn't have any wildcards, he needed to be in complete control in every situation. She often threw his plans, turned them upside down and tossed them back before he could even blink.

Cracking his neck, he rose from the chair with a heavy sigh and moved towards the nightstand silently. He opened the drawer and pulled the gun that she kept hidden beneath old notebooks. He hid the firearm in a pocket on the inside of his coat and straightened his posture before heading towards the door.

He had his mind made up.

It didn't surprise him when he opened the door and Ivy was still there.

"Change your mind?" she asked, hope flashing briefly across her eyes.

The clown smiled back at her as his green hair fell over his eyes, masking his true intents from her observant eyes.

"I change it constantly, Red," he replied clicking his tongue as Blade's eyes narrowed. He knew the clown like the back of his hand. He could tell that something was wrong by his tense shoulders and the forced smile.

"So what's the plan?" Ivy asked, moving aside as he hummed and walked towards the group of goons that had gathered around the kitchen counter. Blade made sure to stay out of the way as the clown passed by and leaned over a chair lazily.

"We, uh, go in," he started, biting the inside of his cheek for a brief moment, "guns blazing." Ivy's brow rose as soon as she heard his plan. It was a suicide run, there was no way they could walk up to the Aryans without the element of surprise.

"We'll be killed," Ivy snapped, voicing Blade's concerns before the young goon could even open his mouth, "we need stealth."

The clown shrugged his shoulders.

It didn't matter how they did it.

All he cared about was seeing Monica's blood stain his hands.

"Pack her things," the clown ordered, turning towards a small group of goons who immediately nodded and ran towards the bedroom. In mere minutes the clanging of suitcases and coat hangers reached their ears.

"Ya' gotta do everything yourself, Red," the clown explained, motioning towards the men in her room. He made it seem like he was planning on getting her out of Gotham as soon as she was back with them.

He would send her away alright.

In pieces.

"Whatever you say, J," Ivy replied, walking towards the door. Grumpy followed closely as the clown glanced back at the bedroom one last time before skipping over as well. To say that he was anxious was an understatement. He couldn't stay still, he needed to slit her throat soon or he would go mad.

With one last giggle, he slammed the door shut and reached for the switchblade in his pocket. He clicked it open and twirled it in his hand while he descended the stairs.

He was about to do what he should have done since he first met his squeeze.

He was going to cut open her throat and make sure she bled out this time.

* * *

><p>Monica's eyes opened slowly, trying to get accustomed to the dark. She could smell and feel rusty metal beneath her palms.<p>

She slowly pushed her body off of the ground, hissing when a sharp pain near her side ran through her body. Her hand caressed it gingerly before pulling back and revealing her crimson smeared fingers.

Her head turned from side to side, trying to figure out where she was in a panic.

Light streamed in from beneath the single door that led into the room, guiding her to the entrance. Grunting, she managed to stand and stumble over before it opened suddenly, blinding her with light.

She held her breath, expecting Victoria or her men to come in and finally finish what they had started.

Seconds passed, followed by minutes.

Her head tilted to the side as she realized that no one was coming.

She wanted to run, her mind was practically screaming at her to go, but her legs refused to move.

Scampering noises from behind her, however, caused her face to pale before her body finally snapped out of its frozen state. She ran towards the door, relieved when she got away from whatever had been in the room with her.

A scream tore through her lips as soon as she crossed the threshold.

Goethe had been waiting outside patiently, twirling a Singapore cane in his hands patiently. He swung it across her face the moment she ran out, shivering when he heard the pleasing crack that it made when it came into contact with her skin.

Monica stepped back, cradling her face as pure agony coursed through her. It was hard to see due to her eyes clouding over with tears. She whimpered when Goeth swung at her again, hitting her ribcage with a brutal blow.

Her body curled inwards, trying to shield her from the assault.

She cowered back into the room, tripping over herself and landing hard on her back. Her hands clawed at the ground in an attempt to get away from Goeth as he stepped into the room and turned the lights on.

Monica took a second to look around, noticing that she was in an old asylum room once more. The rusty metal that she had felt before was the steel frame of an old bed that had been taken apart and tossed on the floor.

The next thing that her body registered was fear.

Raw fear.

Her wide eyes stared up at Goeth, her breathing short and labored as she shook her head in denial. She was horrified of the German and being alone in a room with him was enough to cause her body to go into a state of shock.

She couldn't move, much less talk.

:The bitter taste of her blood filled her mouth as she spit out the liquid and screamed when he moved forward and kicked her further into the room.

As soon as the door shut behind him she broke down, crying incoherently as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and clenched his free fist before punching her animalistically.

Her body convulsed as he threw her against the barred window and rammed her face up against it numerous times. He allowed her to fall to the ground after a few seconds and moved back, giving her the illusion that he was done with her for the time being.

Monica choked, trying to regain whatever sanity she had left as her eyes looked around desperately for anything to defend herself with.

She shivered violently when Goeth picked her up once more and threw her at one of the stone walls that lined the room.

The German smiled when he heard her wheezing. Her cries were like a bitter symphony to his ears. He couldn't get enough of it, he needed more.

Monica watched him through half lidded eyes as he approached her with the cane once more. She cried silently when he delivered blow after blow to her now exposed stomach. Her body convulsed after each hit, trying to get some reaction out of her.

She was done, there was no use in fighting.

She was going to die in that room.

"Wake up, swine," Goeth snarled, jabbing her with the tip of the cane as she cringed at the action. She could hear him pulling out a gun and pulling back the hammer. Her breathing quickened before a shot rang out and echoed through the asylum.

Her piercing screams followed as her hands clawed at her right leg where he had just shot her. She was certain that it had pierced her bone, impeding her from standing.

She tried to suppress her joy when she noticed that he had turned to leave.

"The bitch bled all over you, boss," one of the guards near the entrance commented as Goeth nodded. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away her blood from his face.

"No one goes in," he explained, motioning towards Monica's unmoving figure, "if anything happens, shoot her first."

Monica breathed out shakily when the door slammed shut behind him. She tried her best to quiet her sobbing, to stay strong but failed whenever she moved to reposition herself. Her clothes clung uncomfortably to her body due to the pool of blood that was starting to form around her.

She drifted in and out of consciousness for a while, unable to tell how much time had passed by since Goeth had left. He'd be back, she knew that much, it was only a matter of time.

All she could do was close her eyes and pray.

Pray that she would bleed out before he returned.

She was cut short, however, when loud shots rang out through the hall. The got closer and closer until they were right outside her door.

As much as she wanted to pick her head up to see what the latest development was about her body refused to obey her commands. She had no more energy to move a single muscle.

"We found her!" she heard someone shout, opening her eyes when she recognized his voice.

"What did that fucker do to you, darling?" Grumpy whispered, rushing to her side as soon as he saw her unwillingness to move. Monica stared up at him weakly with a small smile on her bloodied lips. He crouched down beside her to examine the extent of her wounds. He was sickened by what he saw.

"I'll handle her," another voice snapped, stepping into the room. Monica closed her eyes, picking up on the unmistakable tone as Grumpy hesitated to move from her side.

"But boss-"

"I'll handle her," the clown snapped, gripping the gun in his hand tightly. He wouldn't hesitate to shoot the goon if he questioned him again.

"We'll get him for you," Grumpy whispered to Monica, kissing her forehead before he rose and headed out the door. The Joker leaned on the doorway, showing no sign of urgency when he casually walked over to her.

She stared up at him when he came into her view.

He grinned widely at her, keeping the knife in his hand out of her sight as he crouched beside her and tilted his head at her decadent state.

Monica didn't know how to feel about his sudden reappearance after he had traded her for another. The fact that he came back for her, however, overrode everything else.

Her prayers had been answered.

She wanted to get away from Goeth and the clown in front of her was the only one who could help her.

The Joker on the other hand moved forward and helped her up, prolonging her death a little longer. He hummed in content when he felt her blood staining his clothes.

The fact that she could barely stand pleased him greatly, she wouldn't be able to run once she figured out what he was going to do.

Monica leaned heavily against him, eager to leave the room that she had been kept in.

"Come on, doll," the clown growled, surprised at how beat up she truly was. He could feel her body shaking uncontrollably next to him as he led her out of the room.

She limped down the hall beside him slowly, avoiding several falls due to him holding her up with an arm around her waist.

He paused just as they were about to round the corner where he had agreed to meet Ivy and the rest of his goons. Monica paid little to no attention to this and coughed violently, trying to stay awake.

The clown held the knife in his hand tightly, bringing it up to her neck before her voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

Monica didnt understand what had come over her, she couldnt stop the words that slipped out of her mouth. She had a feeling that if she didnt get them out then and there she would never have another chance to say them.

"I-I love you, Jack," she choked, finding the strength to open her eyes and look up at him. The grip that the Joker had on the knife went completely limp. He was horrified of what she had just said.

He was tempted to let her go and leave her there for Goeth to finish.

It would have been easier than having to hear what she had just confessed.

He stiffened completely when her bloody lips met his briefly.

Monica pulled away from him and hissed in pain when his grip around her increased. She had no regrets, he had made her feel alive again in the past few months that she had met him.

No matter what they went through or what she got herself into he always came back for her. Always managed to make her smile, even when she was feeling nothing but pure pain.

Before she could say anything else, the clown felt her go limp in his grasp. For a brief moment, all he could feel was bliss, she was finally dead. Before he knew it, that feeling was gone, replaced by nothing but panic.

She couldn't be dead.

He needed her.

He was torn when he registered her labored breathing. She was alive, hanging on by a thread, but alive nonetheless. A part of him wanted her dead, wanted to laugh in joy at her passing. Another was relieved that she was still breathing, despite the fact that he couldn't keep her by his side any longer.

A battle raged in his head, he wanted to leave her there to bleed out. At the same time he wanted to make sure she got out alive.

The decision was made for him when Blade rounded the corner and looked at his disturbed figure. He neared the clown prince of crime cautiously, ready to bolt incase he decided to shoot him where he stood.

He was surprised when the clown handed Monica's body over to him carelessly. Like a child throwing away an old ragdoll that no longer amused her.

"Do whatever you have to," the clown snapped, shedding his purple jacket before throwing it over to Blade, "if I ever see her again, I _will_ kill her."

Blade caught the jacket in mid air and stared at the clown in confusion. What would he need it for?

He nodded his head instead of asking questions, turning away from him and calling for Ivy to help him with Monica.

The clown watched the pair carry her away as he reached down and pulled two guns out of his shoulder holster. He bit the inside of his cheek again and strolled down the hall, searching for Goeth and Black Mask.

It didn't matter who he found first, all he wanted was blood for blood.

* * *

><p>"The boss called, the Germans got away and Black Mask is nowhere to be found," Blade whispered, pacing outside of the large mansion that they had been instructed to go to. Grumpy shook his head upon hearing the other goon.<p>

"Gotham's starting to rebuild, it won't be long until its back to normal," Happy commented, getting off the phone with another goon who was still with the clown.

"He'll kill them," Chuckles added, "he'll find them and he'll make them squeal."

"Yeah, without us," Grumpy snapped, wanting to get his hands on the German for what he had done to Monica. He tried to calm his temper as Blade cursed and motioned for them to follow him inside.

The doctor that they had called had just informed him that she was waking up.

They needed to be there for her.

He picked up the clown's coat on his way up the large staircase, dreading what he had to do to the woman he had grown to trust with his very own life.

Grumpy opened the door silently, letting the other three in before following and closing the door behind him.

Monica could feel her head pound as she tossed and turned amidst the mass of comforters. Her eyes opened slowly, registering her bright surroundings. She smiled when she noticed that she was back at her mother's mansion in Mexico.

Her smile faded as soon as she remembered that her family no longer owned it. It had been sold a long time ago, she had no right being there.

"Hey," Blade whispered, moving to stand beside her.

As soon as Monica's eyes landed on him she remembered everything. It hadn't been a nightmare like she had thought.

She tried to move but stopped when her body protested against it.

"The doctor said it would be a while before you could move around," Grumpy commented, moving to her side as well as she struggled to form a coherent sentence. Nothing made sense to her, why were they all in a mansion that no longer belonged to her? Why were they all looking at her with looks of sympathy? Where was the clown?

Sensing her distress, Blade sighed before he spoke.

"He's dead," the young goon lied, placing the purple coat in his hands beside her form on the bed. He understood why the clown had given it to him now, it all made sense. The Joker had thought everything out to perfection.

Monica felt tears pooling over her eyes as she shook her head, refusing to believe what they were telling her. She turned to look at Grumpy who merely nodded back at her, confirming what she had feared the most.

"No," she choked, reaching for the coat with a weak hand. She held on to it with a death grip, cursing the man that had worn it once for leaving her alone.

"We barely made it out, the boss made sure we weren't followed," Happy added, trying to make her feel better. Monica felt her heart breaking as she struggled to comprehend what they were bombarding her with.

"This is a lot to take in at once, we'll be leave you alone," Blade murmured, moving away from her. He couldn't face her knowing he was lying about the clown, he couldn't stand the broken look on her expression.

"We'll be outside if you need us, darling," Grumpy informed her, ushering all of the goons out of the room, "get well soon, you have some horses to take care of."

With that, he closed the door, clenching his jaw when he heard her cries from within the room. He turned around to look at the rest of the goons around him, they all looked like they wanted to run back in and tell her the truth.

They knew they couldn't.

She was better off believing he was dead, she didn't need to run back to him once she healed and endanger herself once more.

Monica could hardly contain all of the emotions that coursed through her. She clung to his coat, the only thing that she had left to remember him by and cried like she hadn't cried in years.

She hated the fact that he had died without saying goodbye.

She hated herself for not staying with him, for not being stronger.

It then dawned on her that he had planned everything since the beginning.

She had her mother's mansion back, she remembered mentioning it to him once without thinking twice about it.

There were horses that she was now in charge of as well, another request that she thought had fallen on deaf ears.

The last straw that made her break down completely was a pair of bunny slippers on the counter beside her.

She had gotten everything she had wished for but lost the only thing she truly wanted.

She should have known better. Nothing was ever simple when it came to the clown. All she could do now was cry in a pitiful attempt to remember the man that she missed already. He wasn't coming back, and she had no business going back to Gotham.

Her life there was over and she was the only one to blame.

She should have seen it all coming.

But how could she, when she was busy dancing with the devil?

**Review! If you guys want to read more let me know, I planned to cut if off here but if any of you have any suggestions let me know, dont be shy! If this is the end, I'd like to thank all of my readers, reviewers, and followers. I wrote this for all of you guys, I wouldnt have gotten so far without your encouragement. I love you all, I truly do. I thank you one last time and bid you adieu! **


	71. My Excuse

**Part II**

**My Excuse**

**A/N: Well, here it is, since so many of you guys asked! I decided to continue writing this story since I've had such a good time writing it and so many of you wanted a different ending. Keep in mind that if you liked how it ended you can merely ignore all of the chapters from here on out, but I'll warn you that you're going to miss out on one hell of a continuation! With that in mind, enjoy and buckle in dears, cus' you in for one hell of a ride once more with your dear author! **

The Joker's head snapped to the side as Batman delivered a blow to the side of his face. A laugh left his scarred lips as his body stumbled back and greeted the next punch with open arms.

He had expected the other to be mad when he found out that Monica was no longer in Gotham. It had only been a matter of time before he came after him.

"Where is she?" Batman demanded, grabbing the madman by the collar of his shirt. The other shook his head and cackled painfully when Batman hurled him down the alley they were in.

The clown could feel the gravel beneath him scrape and peel away the skin on his forarms and palms as he slid across the icy ground.

"Why should I tell you?" the Joker replied, his eyes lighting up with amusement as the dark knight stalked towards him. He had no intention of telling him where he had sent his squeeze.

Batman reached down towards him but stumbled forward when the clown kicked out his legs from underneath him. The madman rolled out of the way and clicked his tounge when he heard the dull thud of the caped crusader's body hitting the floor.

He stood quickly for someone who had just been thrown around by the infamous Batman and dodged another punch with ease.

"I'll break every bone in your body if you dont," Batman snarled, reaching for him once more. The Joker sneered at his response before pulling down a fire escape ladder just in time to block punch thrown his way.

He grabbed Batman's arm through the metal steps and twisted it down, locking it against the ladder before punching him back. The crusader felt his lip split as he headbutted the clown with force.

Batman managed to unhook his arm away from the clown's hold as he backed away from the madman and tried to regain his balance. It had been years since anyone had actually managed to get in a good hit with him.

He wiped away the blood dripping down his chin with the back of his hand and growled at the Joker upon seeing his grinning facade staring back at him.

"What's the matter, Bats," the clown teased, "losing your touch?"

"Where is she?" the other asked once more, losing his patience with the man in front of him. He took out his last batarang and hurled it towards the Joker with an aggravated snarl and resisted the urge to smile when he saw it imbed itself on the madman's shoulder.

The clown hissed and glanced up at the dark knight before grabbing the batarang and attempting to pull it out. Blood oozed down and stained his dress shirt as he panted and rested his back up against a nearby wall.

He ignored the crusader as he made his way towards him and wrapped a hand around the batarang.

"What if I were to tell you shes, uh, dead?" the Joker grunted, shifting uncomfortably as Batman dug the blade in further.

"You expect me to believe that?" the other replied, refusing to believe what he was hearing. Monica had spent too much time with the Joker, there was no way that he had allowed her to die after everything he had done to keep her alive.

The madman allowed a smile to grace his lips as he scrunched up his nose upon feeling the blade scrape up against his collarbone.

"Im not telling, Batsy," the Joker replied, tilting his head as Batman elbowed him in the face. The clown bared his teeth before kneeing the other's stomach and kicking him away.

He searched blindly for a knife in his coat pocket only to realize that he was no longer wearing it. An irritated sigh left his lips as he chuckled to himself and reached inside of his vest.

Batman glanced up when he heard the familiar clicking of a blade being unlocked and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid having a blade driven through his eye.

The clown reversed his grip on the blade in the blink of an eye and swung at the crusader's neck. Batman felt the air around him dance and released a breath he hadnt realized he had been holding when he noticed that he wasnt bleeding.

"Dont you realize she was safer here?" Batman questioned, dodging another swing from the clown. The Joker felt his breathing grow ragged as he tried to finish the man that he had had millions of chances to kill before.

"Did you really think that the German would leave her be after everything she's been through with him?" Batman demanded, sensing the other man slowly losing his resolve. He watched as the other's lip curled upwards before his swings grew erratic and unpredictable.

"What are you playing at, clown?" the dark knight asked, dodging another swing before he felt a sharp sting on his cheek. He reached up instinctively and realized that the clown had managed to cut him.

He could see that the other was growing more and more irritated by the second.

The Joker gripped the knife tighter and grit his teeth, trying to silence the caped crusader. He had had enough, he didnt want to hear anything else.

He didnt want to hear her name.

He didnt want to hear her whereabouts.

He didnt want to know anything about her.

"Enough," the Joker snapped, throwing his knife at the dark knight. He reached down into his pockets and pulled out a second blade before lunging at the other man.

"Do you want to bury her?" Batman barked, finally hitting the clown's breaking point. The blade in his hand slid between the plates of the kevlar suit and buried itself deep in his arm. The dark knight could see the other man's disheveled appearance and the fact that he let his guard down being so close to him disturbed Batman.

"Do you want to bury her?" Batman repeated, pausing after every word to make sure his point got across. He could see the clown's pupils dilate as he released the blade and stumbled back.

"Where is she?" the dark knight asked, hoping that he would finally tell her where he had sent her to.

"I dont know," the clown replied, grimacing when the adrenaline wore off and the pain from having a batarang piercing his shoulder returned full force.

Batman merely sighed in irritation and stepped away from the madman as well.

"You're going to help me find her, one way or another," the caped crusader stated, pulling out the knife and hissing as he let it drop to the ground. He could tell that he was going to need several stitches already. He needed to get the wound treated before he did anything else. The amount of blood that he was losing was starting to make him feel drowsy.

The clown merely chuckled dryly in response before the all to familiar flutter of Batman's cape marked his departure. All he could do was back up against a wall and slide down in a pitiful atempt to regain his strenght.

His green hair blocked most of his now blurry view of his surroundings. Gingerly, he took the batarang into one bloody hand and tugged at it harshly. He could hear it tearing his muscles and skin as he continued to try and pull it out.

It clattered on the ground after a few painful minutes, next to his bloody blade, surrounded by a small puddle of his and Batman's blood.

He fumbled for a few moments, trying to find the cellphone that he had placed in his pocket before pulling it out and dialing a number that he had forbiden himself to call but kept nonetheless.

"Boss?" Grumpy's voice questioned, shock apparent in his tone as the clown closed his eyes and applied pressure on the wound with his free hand.

"Call Fleur, get him to pick me up," the Joker demanded, giving the goon the name of the street that he was currently on."

"Happy is taking care of it, anything else, boss?" the goon asked, finding it strange that the Joker was calling him when he had others at his disposal. He was thousands of miles away, he was of no service to the madman at the time.

"Oh, one more thing-ah," the clown added, feeling his body slowly start to shut down due to the blood loss and exhaustion, "get me a plane, I need to see her."

With that, he ended the call and bit the inside of his cheek in an attempt to distract himself from everything that had just happened. He knew it was madness to allow himself to see his squeeze once more when he had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her.

A part of him, however, didnt care.

Somewhere, in his irrational mind, he wanted to see her. He wanted to see her tear streaked face and her horrified eyes once more. He needed to feel her trembling skin beneath his fingers and hear her voice calling his name.

But most of all, he wanted something of his that he had allowed her to keep.

He wanted his purple coat.

**Review! Oh, and on an entirely different side note, I started to write another fic. Yes, guys, another fic. Keep in mind that its not a Batman one, its Thor related. It needs some major support so I would appreciate it if you guys could go and check it out if you like Loki and Thor, its called 'Through My Eyes'. Spread the word my dears! You can find it on my profile, you'd be doing me a huge favor! Once more, welcome back guys, and review!**


	72. Who Do You Think You Are?

**Who Do You Think You Are?**

**A/N: So sorry that it took so long to update this! I just had so many things going on that I had little to no time to sit down and just write. I feel horrible for making you guys wait and I love all of you for being so supportive and review this while I was away. I promise that the next chapter wont take me as long to update, so bear with me. Due to all of the stress, I have to admit that this isnt my best work but I had to get something out there for those who had read and reviewed! Thank you once more and pardon the wait. Oh and pardon any typos, I tried to go through it buts it late and Im REALLY tired, so ignore any if you find them and read on! **

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><p><strong>On a sidenote! <strong>

**LyraDragonflyy : You, my dear, are the sole reason I updated so soon. Since you were the last to review before I updated this thing you kind of jolted my mind and reminded me that there were still people out there who were waiting on me. I LOVED your review, it had me smiling like an idiot for quite some time. Like I said before, I thrive on long reviews and yours was just beautiful. I thank you for sticking with me and reading this fanfic. I hope you like the chapter, let me know that you think, till next time. Ciao. **

**Miss - Crystal- Chan : She does deserve to bitch slap everyone, doesnt she? After everything she's been through I think I would have lost my mind! I am trying to keep her as real as possible so I have her lose some control in this chapter, I hope it is to your liking. Thank you for reviewing! **

**thegamersdoll95: I missed you guys too, but Im back! **

**breanna. lincecum : Thank you, hope this is good enough for you!**

**diving. deep. x : Well, they do meet. It just doesnt go quite the way the Joker had planned it go. **

**Jenicide24 : I often arrive late or refuse to shut off my computer because Im too caught up in reading a chapter on this site, I can see where your coming from, dear. Thanks for reading! **

**allisondasher: Hope you like this one!**

** YourAnnie: Here's the next chapter, hope I didnt dissapoint! **

**Allekinz00 : Well, I updated this once more, I hope you read it and let me know what you think! **

**WrittennWithhLovee : A lot of people wanted me to continue it and truth be told Im kind of glad that I did. It gives me a bit more time to expand on their character development and plot. **

**Kasumi Shiro ancient : I love the fact that you celebrated with chocolate, I would have done the same! And thank you for considering my Thor fic, let me know your thoughts on it!**

**Leyah : As long as you guys want me, I'll never be truly gone :D**

**iluvville : I appreciate the fact that you like it so much, thank you for taking your time to read it, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, let me know what you think alright? **

**Wolfsangel2111 : Thank you! I never really had someone tell me that they liked my writing style, your the first! **

**boca3 : Thank you, and as long as you guys want me to, I'll always continue my story, I wont abandon it. **

**Bwatts1357 : Im far from perfect! Thank you for the review! And I would appreciate it if you checked out my Thor fic, thank you for your support!  
><strong>

**missdaryldixon : I love your pen name first of all XD Hope you like this chapter, dear. **

**Jasmine Scarthing : Its ok, as long as your back and enjoying yourself with this story! Thank you for reviewing!**

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><p>"How long do we have before he gets here?" Happy asked, pacing nervously outside the meeting room that they guarded.<p>

"An hour and a half at best," Grumpy replied, fidgeting with his hands as he glanced up at the clock.

They had just received a call from Fleur, telling them that they had already landed and were on their way.

"Who's gonna tell her?" Chuckles asked, voicing what the others had merely thought of as all of them turned to look at him in unison.

"No one," Blade answered, stepping in front of Chuckles in an attempt to shield him from all of the stares that he was getting, "she will find out when she sees the boss."

"Do you really think that wise?" Happy laughed, knowing that Monica wouldn't take the news too well. They had lied to her for over a year after all.

Before any of them could object further, the doors to the meeting room opened and a dozen mob bosses walked out. Blade's eyes searched for Monica, knowing that he had to pull her away from all of them in order to get back to their house on time.

He cringed inwardly when he saw her walking side by side with the most influential of the Mexican mob bosses. The fact that his arm was around her shoulders and he was too close for his liking made him clear his throat, catching her attention.

She paused and looked up at him, realizing that he needed to talk to her as he walked into the room and waited for her full attention.

Blade could hear her apologize to the other man who in turn shook his head and replied something in Spanish before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

The goon watched the mob boss until he left the room with calculative eyes before they turned towards Monica.

"What is it, Blade?" she asked, sighing as her hand reached for the back of one of the chairs around the table for support. Blade's brow rose upon seeing this, noting the way that she could hardly stand by herself.

Her skin had a sickly pale tone to it and her voice was weak, it was pitiful to see her in that state. He wondered why he hadnt caught on before.

His question was answered for him when another of the men that had been in the meeting knocked on the door and entered the room.

Within a fraction of a second the smile on Monica's face was back up and her body straightened, struggling to make herself presentable.

"Clever," Blade whispered to himself as he watched the two exchange words before the other man left. She had been putting up an act for all of them, hidding behind a mask.

"That mask is starting to crack," he commented, speaking his thoughts out loud as he watched her slump over the chair with an exasperated breath. His brow furrowed when she set the glass of wine in her hand down and grit her teeth.

There was something clearly wrong with her.

The thought of the clown finding her in that state sent a jolt of horror down his spine. He would kill all of his goons, including him, if they didnt do something about Monica's condition.

"Im fine, Blade, I just didnt get enough sleep," Monica lied, forcing her lips up into a small smile to reassure him.

Inside, however, she was filled with panic and fear. She didnt know what was happening to her body. She couldnt, however, afford to worry over herself when there were matters at hand that required her attention.

"We should head back, its getting late," Blade commented, pulling her back from her troubled thoughts as she glanced up at him with confusion.

She rose a hand to her temple and tried to ease the pain that came from such a simple action.

"Im sorry, what?" she asked, embarrassed by the fact that she couldnt even pay attention to the man in front of her.

"You need rest," Blade commented, rushing to her side when he noticed how sick she truly looked. This was something that had been taking hold of her for quite some time, he was surprised that she had been able to hide it from them for so long.

"But the people, my people," she mumbled, trying to fight his hold on her as he started to walk her out of the meeting room.

She had thousands of people looking to her, depending on her to keep them safe from the mob bosses that she had just sat down and shared a few drinks with.

She acted as their buffer, shielding and protecting them from the wrath of the cartel. She would pay their debts, intercept on their own behalf, and buy large pieces of land so that she would have control over them and not the mob bosses.

It was all she could do to keep them happy, to follow through with her mother's legacy. She protected her own, just like her family had always done.

"I'll come back later and make sure that they follow through," Blade whispered in her ear, repulsed at how cold her skin was in his hold. He could feel his heart rate race as he realized that it wasnt something they would be able to rid her of before the clown saw her.

"The Salazar family cant loose their farm, they have a sick child and-"

"Darling, you need to stop, I'll take care of it," Blade urged her, interrupting her as she closed her eyes. She had so many things that she needed to do herself but was unable to due to her weakened state.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked, refusing his help as she made her way over to the doorway. Blade was alarmed when he saw how unbalanced she was, swaying even when she was completely still.

Before he could reply he watched as she clenched her jaw and rose her head once more, putting on the best 'I'm perfectly fine' performance he had ever seen.

He followed closely behind, ready incase her body decided to finally give in on itself. The rest of the goons followed suit, walking over to their Escalades.

The uneven rock paved street making Monica's head spin as she tried to keep her footing and reach the car. She thanked the streetlight for being out, shrouding her from the observant eyes of the goons that followed behind her.

Grumpy watched her out of the corner of his eye when he noticed her pause just as she reached the door to catch her breath.

She reached for the handle with a shaking hand and opened it after a few seconds of difficulty before clamoring inside unceremoniously much to Happy's horror.

He turned to look at Chuckles and Grumpy who had been inside already, receiving equally shocked looks.

"I had too much wine," Monica laughed, making excuses as she finally managed to seat herself and lean against the door in an attempt to stop her head from pounding.

The truth was, she had only had a single sip of wine the entire night. Blade knew this and took it upon himself to watch her intently the entire drive back. He needed to keep her conscious and well, that would be their only saving grace once the clown got a good look at her.

Monica closed her eyes and ordered Happy to turn the radio up in an attempt to hide her ragged breathing. She could feel herself break out into a cold sweat as they neared the large mansion overlooking the small town that had become her home for the past year.

Once they arrived, Blade opened the door for her and took her arm gently, applauding the fact that she was still trying to look composed for the goons all around her. She suspected that Grumpy was already catching on due to the questions that he had been asking on the drive back.

She just needed to get up to to her room and sleep. Sleep had been her sole comfort for the past few months despite the fact that she knew she was getting worse as the weeks dragged by.

Her hand wrapped around the doorknob to the front door and a sigh of relief escaped her lips before the screeching of tires broke her out of her short lived bliss.

"You'd think that you would be running towards me, doll," a voice chuckled, the grating of pavement beneath his feet irritating her even more, "not away."

Monica's whole body froze when she heard him, the man she had tried time and time again to forget. Her hand remained around the doorknob, the grip becoming painful as she refused to turn around and see him.

She could feel vile rising up in the back of her throat, he was dead. There was no way he could be talking to her, it must have been her mind playing ticks on her like it had done countless times before.

Her state of denial enraged the madman standing a few feet away from her, wishing to see the woman he had endured countless hours of flight for.

"Look at me!" he snarled at her, resisting the urge to walk over and force her to turn.

Monica's fearful eyes drifted to the side, her whole body following shortly after as she released the door and slowly turned towards the source of his voice.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat when she finally saw him.

He looked exactly the same, standing in front of her, mocking her even then with the same smile that had haunted her dreams and nightmares.

The same could not be said for her.

The Joker felt his lips dip down slightly when he saw her appearance.

She looked horrible.

His eyes shot towards Blade for a fraction of a second, demanding an explination before they returned to her, being unable to look away despite everything.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue, beautiful?" he questioned, seeing her shake even from where he stood. He loved the fact that he was the only one who could elicit such a reaction from her.

Monica slowly went from being in shock to full of rage and resentment.

One year.

"One whole fucking year!" she screamed at him, startling everyone around her. The clown's smile dropped when he saw her sudden shift, something wasnt right.

"You let me believe that you were dead for an entire year!" she continued, her head snapping to the side forgetting the fact that she wanted to scream due to the pain that coursed through her body.

She was being overloaded again, the burden of her town, the debts, the mob bosses, her sickness, and his sudden reappearance were too much for her to handle.

They couldnt keep doing this to her without expecting her to finally give in due to the weight of everything.

Her hand wrapped around a metal pipe that had been resting beside the door bell, the cool metal contrasting sharply with her seething flesh.

To say that she was angry was an understatement.

"Get back in the car," Blade warned, turning towars the Joker when he saw Monica's chest heave and her jaw clench. He should have seen this coming sooner, what did they expect?

They needed to stop pushing her, God knew she wasnt physically or mentally capable of handling more stress at the moment.

The clown tilted his head when he heard his goon's warning, noticing how she was slowly stalking towards him, metal pipe still in hand.

He had expected her to run crying into his arms, begging for explanations, not this.

Not this.

"Get back in the car, all of you!" Blade yelled, sprinting towards the Escalade that was closest to him.

Grumpy and Chuckles dove into it as well and slammed the doors shut, watching the clown with wide eyes.

The madman slowly backed away from her, his interest peaked as the scraping from the weapon in her hand against the ground beneath her caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand.

"I cant let you do this," Blade warned her as he climbed over the gear shift of the car that he was in and reached for the clown's collar. He pulled the other man in and shut the door just in time as Monica swung the pipe in her hand at him with brutal force.

It clanged loudly and left a dent on the side of the Escalade's door as she pulled back and swung at the car once more.

The Joker watched her through the bullet reinforced window as she took another swing at it, knowing that it wouldnt break but hitting it nonetheless.

He could see her lose the battle with herself as she moved towards the front of the truck and brought the pipe down on the headlights. They shattered and gave out in a display of sparks and crackling noises before she sighed heavily and climbed onto the hood.

The clown watched with amazement as she swung repeatedly at the windshield, cracking it in the process much to his delight, he needed to see more of this side of her.

He had wanted to see a crying mess when he finally saw her, not a raging and unstable woman who had managed to render his expensive Escalade useless within a matter of seconds.

He had to say that he preferred her like this, wild and uncontrollable.

Unpredictable.

"I should have killed you myself!" she screamed, refusing to believe that he was alive. His arrival could only mean chaos and complete disorder would slowly ruin the life she had built for herself.

She had worked so hard in order to have everything that she currently had. It wasnt fair that he could come and go as he pleased, do and undo, while she had to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Her body and mind paid the price, he never even stopped to realize this.

It wasnt fair...

"Its not fair!" she screamed, tears of rage and desperation running down her pale cheeks.

She rammed the pipe through the crack in the windshield and smiled in triumph when it pierced the glass and drove straight through into the car.

The Joker stared down at the pipe, inches away from piercing his neck, and then up at the woman currently crouching on the hood. He realized that he wasnt dead due to the fact that it had gotten stuck halfway through the glass.

He knew that if the decision had been in her hands she would have run it straight through him.

His smile, however, was gone as soon as it came when he noticed her pause and gasp for air. She released the pipe in her hands and wheezed for air, fear running through her veins when she realized that she was in no positon to be exerting her body.

The clown's eyes narrowed when he got a closer look at her, he could tell that whatever was wrong with her had been making itself stronger over time.

He caught her just as she fainted and slid off the hood of the Escalade, her body feeling lighter than usual in his hold.

"How long has she been like this?" he asked as his goons rushed around him in order to look at the woman in his arms.

"She's been fighting it for a while," Blade confessed, feeling stupid due to not seeing it sooner, "I dont know for how long, though."

The clown nodded grimly and motioned for him to open the door and call for a doctor.

He carried her up the stairs, forgetting the fact that she had been trying to kill him with a pipe minutes ago and placed her carefully on her bed. He caressed her cheek with a look of amusement on his face as he shook his head and took a seat beside her.

"You cant let your body do you in," he whispered to her as he he heard his goons rush around downstairs. It was like old times again, except for the fact that he didnt know what was wrong with her. Something about that didnt sit well with him. He hadnt endured a year without her touch only to have her give up so easily, to let go without fighting.

He sat back on the chair and pulled out his knife, preoccupying himself with sharpening it in a pitiful attempt to distract himself from the panic that was slowly taking a hold of him. He didnt like the fact that he had so little control over the situation.

He leaned over her and traced her bottom lip with the sharp edge of the blade, dragging it up her cheek with a sadistic smile on his face. He would feel better after the doctor came in and told them that she would be fine within a day or two.

Then and only then, would he allow himself to pay her back for the welcome that she had given him.

**Review! I live and thrive on long reviews so dont be afraid of writing them. Let me know what you think so far, or what you would like to see! Dont be afraid, my dears. That being said, I must bid you adieu, till next chapter! **


	73. You Can't Leave

**You Can't Leave**

**A/N: Well, here it is, I managed to write this one faster than the other one and therefore updated sooner. I feel pretty damn proud that this originated in my head despite a major case of writers block that refuses to leave me. So, to clear any confusion, the beggining of this is her having a flashback of what already happened during the year where she thought that the clown was dead, thats the italics, she's merely re-living it during a dream. As for the Grumpy fluff near the middle, I remember several of you stating that you wanted to see some between him and Monica so I decided to give it a go, this is for those of you who requested it. Anyway, read on my dears, enjoy! PS I had no time to check this so pardon any typos!**

**Shoutouts!**

**breanna. lincecum: Dont worry, I dont intend on giving up on this story, Im going to see it through till the end, Im glad you enjoyed it that much.**

**thegamersdoll95: Indeed, you caught my reference ;)**

**RanyshaRayon: Hello, new reader! Im glad you decided to leave a review, Im always glad when someone new joins out dysfunctional family of readers ;)**

**Allekinz001: Oh, dont worry. She has a lot more planned for him, and it does involve banging him up a bit, its all for a good cause though! I mean, I would beat the man up too if she showed up back from the dead after a year demanding to be accepted with open arms. XD**

**Kasumi Shiro ancient: Its been too long. It does take me a while to upload these but fear not, I will not abandon it, not when I have so many of you guys reading and waiting to find out what happens next. I couldnt bring myself to leave you hanging. I got this one out sooner than the previous chapter so I hope you are pleased. And I found my way with this chapter, I think I have everything planned out nicely so bust out the chocolates because we're getting fat together! I hope you like this chapter :)**

**LyraDragonflyy: I swear your reviews are what I look forward to when I update. I think that you nail my interpretation of the characters very well. They are eachother's cure and poison at the same time. They need one another no matter how bad it is for them. I did put in a bonus flashback for you in the beggining from when she was adjusting to her life after believing that he was dead, I hope you like it. And oh yes, there will be blood, it'll practically rain and drench Gotham in future chapters. I look forward to hearing from you again soon, dear. Ciao!**

**Kns1212: Here's the next chapter, hope you like it!**

**Liliana Celeste: Dont worry, I wont stop writting any time soon, glad you like it.**

**Jenicide24: Indeed, she wasnt taking any. As far as her health goes, it just gets worse from here on out.**

**Bwatts1357: I hope this one doesnt dissapoint either, enjoy!**

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><p><em>Time dragged by. <em>

_The days grew dull and cold without him there. _

_Monica could feel herself retreating further and further into herself. The familiar and painful pang of guilt and longing that refused to dissipate from her chest made it harder for her to breathe. _

_She was gasping for air. _

_Suffocating without him. _

_He had been everything to her, her immediate default for protection. She turned to him, and only him, whenever she had needed someone to stain their hands with blood for her. _

_He had never disappointed her. _

_She had felt relief wash over whenever she felt his possessive hold around her, making her feel alive despite the constant throb of the bruises that he left in his wake. _

_She had been safe. _

_Safe from everyone, except the most dangerous of all of Gotham's criminals. _

_The clown price of crime himself. _

_He had been her weakness. _

_His death had torn her apart, shattered everything around her. _

_ It had taught her that nothing was permanent, nothing. _

_A low, pitiful whimper left her lips as she tossed and turned in her sleep. She couldn't find reprieve in anything, not even in her own dreams. _

_Her mind wouldn't let her rest. _

_It kept reminding her that she had left him behind, left him to his fate. _

_Her body curled inward upon realizing this, uttering another silent cry. The grip that she held on the piece of clothing in her grasp increased drastically. _

_She had made the mistake of pulling it out of her large wardrobe earlier and had been unable to part with it once sleep started to take her into its cold embrace. _

_The soft material between her fingers remained pressed against her chest, where the pain was greatest. _

_She tried to convince herself that he had died quickly, painlessly. _

_Her mind knew better. _

_Knowing Goeth, he had probably dragged the clown's death out until he could no longer keep the other man alive. _

_The biker tried to shake the images of the madman's face contorting with pain as he was beaten and tortured. She tried to force the sounds of his weak laughter out of her head, trying to convince herself that she was being foolish. _

_She knew the man too well by now. _

_He had probably gone down still firing at the men that surrounded him, refusing to give in even at the very end. _

_"I-I need you," she whimpered, curling in on herself. If she were awake she would have scolded herself._

_She was being immature, needy, and weak. _

_Her body betrayed her yet again when a scream tore through her lips, finally waking her from the hell that she had been re-living. _

_She hated dreaming about the horrors that she had had to endure in her brother's death, her VP's mouth being carved into a smile, and her sister in law losing her life and baby to being beaten by Goeth, the clown's death, and being tortured and raped. _

_In mere seconds, Grumpy was at her side, sitting down beside her shaking form. She clung to his built frame, finding comfort in his presence as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. _

_"It's ok, darling," he whispered, while he rubbed small circles on her lower back with his hand, "Im here, its ok." _

_He had grown accustomed to her waking at night when her nightmares got the better of her. Without fail, he would go to her and ease her troubled thoughts. It had become their ritual, despite the fact that there were three others who could easily replace him. _

_Monica, on the other hand, would accept no other. _

_If anyone was going to see her in a half-mad, broken, comatose state it was going to be Grumpy. She trusted him and felt at ease whenever he was around. _

_"Im sorry," she murmured, clinging to his shoulder for dear life. Grumpy suppressed a hiss when her nails dug into his skin. It was as if she was afraid he would disappear if she let go. _

_"Don't apologize," he growled warningly, refusing to let her blame herself for another thing, "don't you ever apologize to me." _

_Monica nodded slightly and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent as she tried to calm her body down from its state of alertness. _

_She hated waking him in the middle of the night but found herself unable to sleep once she had woken unless he was there with her. _

_Before she could even ask him to stay, he leaned back against her head board and pulled her against him. Monica found herself relaxing in his hold, feeling secure with his arms wrapped around her waist gently in order to avoid aggravating the bruises and cuts that lay beneath her nightgown. _

_She rested her head against his chest and concentrated on his calm breathing and the steady beat of his heart. The combination turned into a lullaby that she was all too familiar with by now. _

_Without fail, she felt her eyelids grow heavy despite her own will to stay awake. She feared going back to sleep after a nightmare, dreading that she would dream about it again. _

_"Im here," Grumpy's voice informed her, as he ran a hand reassuringly through her curled hair, "go to sleep, love." _

_The deep rumble from his chest as he spoke and the rich tone from his voice laced with sleep soon caused her to let go of all of her insecurities. _

_She gave in to sleep, knowing that he would be there when she woke, arms wrapped around protectively around her small frame. _

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><p>Monica shivered, registering the temperature of the room she was in. Her brow furrowed when she registered the damp sheets beneath her. She had been dreaming again, the cold sweat that she had broken out of was proof enough, it had drenched the sheets beneath her.<p>

She clenched her eyes before forcing them to open, looking around in horror when she saw that she was surrounded by strange men.

"She woke up," one of them commented, jotting down something in a clipboard that he had been holding. Monica's mind reeled as she tried to understand what was happening.

"Her fever is getting worse," another noted from her side, reaching towards her with caution. Monica flinched away form his touch and sat up while backing away into the head board of her bed.

She didn't recognize any of the three men.

"Grumpy," she called out weakly, searching for the one man she wanted to see when she woke. The goon in question immediately stepped through the door, disregarding the glares that he got from the other three in the room.

She sighed in relief when she saw him, knowing that she was safe as soon as he was by her side. By mere instinct he sat down behind her and pulled her to him, locking his arms around her waist.

Monica's hands rested above his forearms as she tilted her head upwards and turned it to the side, nuzzling his jaw. Grumpy closed his eyes and enjoyed the endearment, leaning forward into her to assure her that he was there for her.

"They're doctors," Grumpy pointed out, feeling her pull away from him in order to examine the men in the room. He watched as she shrunk back into him, clearly refusing to trust them.

The three smiled back at her, trying to reassure her that they were of no threat. They knew she was weak, unable to defend herself, and weary of them, any sudden movements could startle her and cause her to lash out.

"I don't need a doctor," she replied, shaking her head. Even before the words left her lips she knew they were a lie.

She could feel her body slowing down at an alarming rate. As of late she had taken to ignoring her reflection in the mirror. The dark circles underneath her eyes sickened her and her skin turned paler by the day.

"Please, just let them have a look, you have been out for three days," Grumpy pleaded, rubbing his cheek up against her jaw. The edges of her lips tugged upwards into a barely noticeable smile when she felt his stubble tickle her skin.

The doctors watched the dynamic between the pair, amused that she was being persuaded by a single touch from the goon.

"I'm fine, Grumpy," Monica whispered back, her voice weak as his lips dipped downward. She looked and sounded frail despite the fact that he didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to see her this way. There was no way he was going to let the doctors leave without them diagnosing her first.

"They're the best in the country, darling," he commented, squeezing her waist gently as he pressed his chest against her back to whisper in her ear, "do it for my sake?"

Monica glanced back, noting the concern in his voice as she grimaced and shook her head in defeat.

"For you," she replied, sighing as he shifted on the bed and glanced up at the doctors. He nodded once before leaning forward and placing a feather light kiss on the back of her neck.

Monica closed her eyes and shivered at the sensation as he moved away from her and headed out the door. She glanced up at the doctors as they surrounded her and started their job.

She wondered why the goon hadn't stayed with her but froze when her eyes drifted over to the leather chair beside her bed.

The purple coat that she had placed over it was gone.

_His_ coat was gone.

In that instant, everything that had happened over the past few days came crashing down on her.

The clown was alive.

He was alive.

Her eyes shot towards the door where Grumpy had just exited out of and inhaled sharply. She tried to keep calm, as instructed by the doctors, but couldn't stop the worry that spread through out her features as she thought of the goon that had gotten her through the past months.

She leaned back on the bed, missing the support of the goon, as she prayed that the clown wouldn't burst in any moment and slit her throat for destroying his Escalade and threatening him with a metal pipe.

* * *

><p>Grumpy closed the door behind him, stopping dead in his tracks when he was hit with the reality of the clown waiting for him outside. Happy glanced at the pair back and forth nervously, waiting for the inevitable to happen.<p>

The Joker inhaled the air around the goon sharply, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

He could practically _smell_ her on him.

Grumpy resisted the urge to flinch when he saw the other man tilt his head at him. He had forgotten completely about his boss.

"They'll be done soon, I convinced her to go through with it," Grumpy explained, trying to keep his voice leveled as he stepped out of the clown's way. Chuckles felt his body stiffen as Grumpy walked away from the clown. He half expected the madman to run a knife straight through the goon's back then and there.

He wasn't stupid.

None of them were.

Then again, he had only been here for a couple of days. The clown had spent his time in her room, watching over her with an unreadable expression on his face and ignoring them every time they had to go into the room for something.

Perhaps he hadn't caught on.

Grumpy exhaled, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, when he was finally leaning up against the wall beside Happy. His carelessness had almost cost him his life.

He had forgotten that she belonged to the clown.

No one else was allowed to look at her much less touch her.

His train of thought was cut short when the doctors stepped out of the room with grim expressions on their faces.

"2 months," one of them stated, overlooking his notes with dread as he glanced up at the men around them.

"2 months?" Happy repeated, trying to make sense of what they had just been told.

"She'll be dead within two months," the second explained, handing the paperwork over to Blade. The young goon snatched it out of his hands and reviewed their notes with horror.

The Joker felt his teeth grit against one another.

Two months?

He had waited over a year and now he only had two months left with her?

"It's rare, we've never seen anything quite like it," the third elaborated, going over several medical terms that none of them understood other than Blade.

"Can anything be done, the cost does not matter," Blade questioned, trying to save them all from the wrath of the seething clown a few feet away from them. If something wasn't done about her condition within the next few minutes they would all end up in a puddle of their own blood in the hall.

"We do not have the proper equipment-" the first started before a bullet found its way into his head. Blade jumped back when two more followed, landing in the remaining doctors beside him.

He shivered in disgust when blood sprayed onto his face and the notes in his hand, tainting them in with a crimson hue.

The only thing he could do was look up at the clown in fear, frozen in place as he waited for him to unload the rest of the clip into them. He could practically taste the copper blood in his mouth from where it had splattered on his lips.

He didn't move to wipe it away, however, afraid of startling the trigger happy madman into massacring them.

"Clean this up," the Joker ordered, watching as his goons scrambled and bumped into each other in an attempt to follow through with his order.

Blade remained frozen, the notes shaking in his hand as the clown locked eyes with him.

"Get the Bat," the clown snapped, feeling a smile creep up on his face, "tell him his little bunny is dying."

With that, he turned on his heels, walking casually down the hall as if nothing had happened. His head was running wild, his plans could be changed if she died. Formulating them without her in them, however, didn't appeal to him very much.

He needed her.

He needed to see her reach her full potential.

He needed to see her kill for him at least once before he finally disposed of her and flushed her out of his system once and for all.

He glanced back only once and offered his goons a Cheshire smile, pretending that nothing was wrong as he headed downstairs for some much needed sleep.

Her health didn't concern him. As soon as Batman found out about her the house would be swarmed by the best doctors in the world. She would be up and running by the end of the week if everything went according to planned.

Blade remained in his place as the goons worked around him, still in disbelief at the whole situation.

He was in denial, refusing to acknowledge the fact that Monica was dying.

She couldn't leave them, they would be dead within days without her there to keep the clown in check and take the worst of his fury for them.

His loss of control a minute ago proved his point. The man was practically looking for targets to shoot for entertainment, if they didn't do anything about her health they would be next in his crosshairs.

With that last thought still running through his mind, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed Bruce's number, blurting everything out in under a minute once the billionaire answered.

He hung up after giving the playboy the address and proceeded to slide down against the blood splattered hall in shock. He didn't even remember what Bruce had said to him, the conversation was a blur at best.

His eyes closed in defeat as he tried to ease his tense muscles. Grumpy sat across from him, lost in his own thoughts as he stared at Monica's door.

He thanked the doctors for sedating her, sparing her from listening to the clown unload his gun onto them for saying the wrong thing.

He leaned his head back against the wall and stretched out his legs before waiting.

After the mess had been cleaned up and the clown was nowhere in sight they all gathered outside her door and tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. They didn't want to risk wandering back to their rooms and running into the clown on their way there. All they could do was wait for Bruce and rest their eyes to kill the time.

He was their last hope.

If he couldn't save her no one could.

**Dont forget to review! Did you like it hate it? Approve of the Grumpy fluff, dissaprove? Let me know my dears!**


	74. Lacrymosa

**Lacrymosa**

**A/N: Dear god how long has it been my dear readers! I promise I will update weekly from now on since I am finally out of school and have no other matters pressing me. I can write freely from now on. I hope to hear from you guys, let me know your thoughts on this story that you've helped me write throughout the years. Pardon any typos, I didnt have the time to go back and check this, I apologize in advance. **

**Some little notes for some of you:**

**Michi: H****ere you go love, an update as promised. **

**HannibalTargaryen: Not sure if your name is a reference to Hannibal Lecter or not, if it is I love you that much more! And dont worry, I wont be stepping on a lego at any time at least not during this chapter, glad you like it so far :D**

**Wolfsangel2111: Dont worry, I have it all planned out. **

**Kasumi Shiro ancient: Indeed, Grumpy should get his hands off of her if he knows whats good for him, Im surprised no one else pointed that out! And dont worry, Joker will have plenty to be jealous of later on. I think you should pull out the credit card and have those lilies and funeral ready at the rate shes going in this chapter. As i mentioned before I promise to update sooner now that I no longer have school breathing down my back. **

**Bwatts1357: Joker isnt coping too well in this chapter Im afraid XD **

**Jasmine Scarthing: You havent missed that much, dear, and indeed it is interesting if you look into it. **

**Jenicide24: Bruce will try to help her, we'll just have to wait and see if it works! **

**RanishaRayon: Its still a toss up, she could live or die, it depends on the flip of a coin *mysteriously drags Two Face into the picture as he flips a coin* ;)**

**YoursAnnie: Here's the next installment, I hope its to your liking!**

**LivinJgrl123: Thank you, I plan on finishing it if you guys are willing to stick with me, so read on my dear, I hope I didnt dissapoint!**

"Darling," Grumpy's voice called. Monica stirred, it sounded like he was miles away. The splitting headache that plagued her mind made it difficult to pinpoint where his voice was coming from.

Her eyelids weighed heavily like lead, making it next to impossible for her to open them.

"Darling, you need to get up," Grumpy pressed, drawing closer. She tried to get up, to move, but found her own body refusing her commands. A shot of fear ran down her spine when she tried again and again, failing each time.

Grumpy furrowed his brow when he shook her and only got a raspy sigh in return. The fact that the clown was standing behind him during his attempts to wake her didnt ease his mind either.

He winced visibly when he turned towards her once more, her breathing sounded awful. It sounded as if rusty nails were being grated in the back of her throat repeatedly.

Grumpy reached out to shake her once more but stopped when his hand came into contact with her skin. He pulled back sharply when searing heat shot up his arm, her whole body was on fire.

His frown deepened as he leaned forward, encouraged by the clown's silence, and put his palm up against her forehead. She turned her head away from him, her face contorting to show nothing but pain when a series of coughs escaped her lips.

The clown stepped back when he heard her, unaware that her conditon had gotten worse since he had last checked on her.

Grumpy moved forward and did his best to hold her down in order to stop her thrashing, she would only end up hurting herself further.

"She's sweating too much," he whispered, more to himself than the clown. He glanced at the clock on her nightstand, it had only been two hours since they had called Bruce.

The goon could only pray that the man would get there soon.

Monica felt the room around her spin when she finally managed to open her eyes. She could feel someone's arm around her, trying to rouse her.

"C-cold," she whispered hoarsly, clutching on to Grumpy's shirt, "Im so cold," she whined. She used what little energy she had left to try and sit up but stopped when another series of coughs tore through her chest.

Grumpy could feel her shaking in his hold, her eyes clenched shut in pain as she uttered low cries between sharp intakes of breath. She felt like she was being torn apart from the inside. Each cough felt like someone was stabbing knives into her lungs.

The goon tensed, his jaw set as he watched her suffer in his arms. There was nothing he could do to ease her suffering but sit and guide her through it.

"Breathe," he whispered, realizing that the gasps were becoming uneven. She was struggling to intake air with all of the effort that came with coughing.

The clown watched, dumbstruck as she tossed in Grumpy's hold, coughing more and more. Grumpy turned towards the nighstand when he heard her cough up phlegm.

He carefully manuvered her into a sitting position and coaxed her into spitting it out onto a napkin that he had found. He froze when she parted her lips and the offending liquid left her mouth.

The clown looked over his shoulder with curiosity and almost wished he hadnt. He didnt understand why a sudden chill spread throughout his body when he saw what Grumpy was holding up for him.

Blood.

She had coughed up blood.

The clown turned his eyes away from the crimson mess on the napkin and back onto her, panic suddenly coursing through him. He made sure to close his eyes and push it back down before he removed his glove with the tip of his teeth.

He motioned Grumpy aside, seeing how the goon was slowly coming undone at the newest development and walked over to her. He stood at her bedside, looking down at her with a blank stare.

Grumpy shook his head in denial and uttered a low groan as he backed away from her and slid down the wall closest to him. The frown on his face only increased when he saw the clown lean over to her and place his hand over her forehead.

The goon saw no point to this, he had already done it before. When the clown pulled back, a forced smile on his face, Grumpy found himself shaking his head and dropping it into his hands.

He was trying.

He was trying _so_ hard to keep himself composed.

The goon could tell that the clown was never good at keeping himself in check whenever she wasnt by his side. He needed her there to stabilize him, to control him.

Without her steady hand there was no telling what he would do or who he would lash out on.

Grumpy shook his head and bit back the tears that brimmed at the edges of his eyes. He was frustrated, irritated beyond belief that she was dying in front of him and there was nothing he could do.

He felt useless, unable to protect her as he had done countless times before.

The clown on the other hand, kept his breathing steady, his brow furrowing in thought. He had felt her temperature, heard the coughs, seen the blood. It had been a miracle that she had managed to hide it from Blade for so long.

The Joker knew for a fact that a disease like the one that had her in its grip took a long time to develop. She had let it, he knew that much, she had _willingly_ let it escalate until she could hide it no longer.

His hand ghosted over her jaw and wrapped around her neck ever so slowly. Her skin was feverish and her pulse was faster than what he would have preferred.

Monica's eyes opened if only for a fraction of a second when she felt another's touch. The cool fingers that slid to the back of her neck and threaded into her hair made her lean further into them, realxing her stressed body.

The clown watched as her breathing stilled and then resumed its normal pattern for the time being. Her body sunk back into the large bed, drowning amongst the mass of sheets that the had set out for her.

"You never forget, do ya, doll?" the Joker whispered, releasing her neck. It unnerved him to some extent that his mere touch had caused her to calm down and find relief. He wanted nothing more than to sieze her neck once more and stop any more air from reaching her lungs.

He wanted to snuff out what little life she had before she had a chance to come back to her senses and regain control over him. He closed his eyes, imagining the sound her windpipe would make as he crushed it with his hand, the delicious gasp that would escape from her lips as her life slipped away.

Grumpy looked up when he heard the clown mumble something to Monica. His eyes widened in alarm when he saw how he was leaning over her. He recognized that look, he had seen it too many times to forget what followed.

"Jack-" Monica breathed, turning away from the pair as she clutched the bedsheets beneath her. Her whole body was on fire, aching, and unresponsive, she wanted him to take it all away.

She knew that he would, if she only asked.

The Joker's eyes shot over to her when he heard his name. He tensed visibly, unsure of what to do as she writhed in pain beneath him. In mere seconds, his hand found the knife in his pocket and held it in a grip that turned his knuckles white.

"Did she say something, boss?" Grumpy asked, his eyes hopefull as he glanced at her bedside. The clown didnt answer him. He had given her the leverage of knowing his name with the comfort that she would be dead within the month. He had never planned for her to live this long or for her to remember it.

There was no way he was going to let anyone else know, the secret died with her.

If she uttered another word, another sound, he would-

"Where is she?" Batman's voice called as he burst through the door in outrage. The clown let go of the knife he had been about to click open and stepped back when he saw the other man storm into the room.

"We would have told you sooner, we didnt know until three days ago," Blade commented, walking in behind the caped crusader. The clown watched the other man with a fixed glare, refusing to move from Monica's side.

When Batman noticed this, he scoffed and moved towards the other side of the bed.

"You didnt tell me it was this bad!" Batman exclaimed in outrage when he finally got a good view of Monica. He rushed forward and sat down next to her on the bed before checking her pulse by taking her wrist into his hands.

She looked like a corpse, he wouldnt have been surprised if he found no pulse. He was relived when he sensed it, racing at a rapid rate, before setting her arm down carefully and calling in another person.

"Im afraid its not looking good," a familiar voice commented as he stepped through the doorway. The Joker's lip curled upwards into a sneer when he saw Scarecrow in the room.

"He's the only one who would consent to treating her with you looking over his shoulder," the caped crusader explained, seeing how the two criminals sized eachother up. He was prepared to step in between them should a fight break out.

"What did you find?" Blade questioned, hoping to ease the tension as he glanced at Monica's medical records in Crane's hands.

"She's got a history for rejecting medicine, it has no effect on her body, whatever this is, she's going to have to fight it off by herself," Scarecrow explained, moving forward to examine Monica. He tossed the file in his hand to the side as he ran through the motions.

It was clear just from looking at her that she had severe case of pneumonia. When he caught a sight of the bloodied napkin on her nightstand, however, his face dropped.

Pneumonia she could fight off with some difficulty, but this, this was next to impossible to cure at the stage that it was in.

He checked her nevertheless, if not for her sake then for the men in the room who seemed to loom over his figure in an attempt to see what they hadnt before.

The ex-psychologist shook his head and took off his glasses when he was done. He rose with a sigh and turned to look at the group that had been waiting behind him.

If he answered truthfully, the Bat would give him a beating that would pale to the one he had recieved in order to convince him to leave Gotham. The clown would slice and gut him like he had done to the Riddler, and the other two goons wouldnt hesitate to shoot him where he stood.

Nevertheless, he took his chances.

"She's gotta fight it off by herself," Scarcrow informed them, "this thing, its infected her lungs, slowly but surely they're starting to fill with fluid," he continued.

The Joker's expression never changed, in fact it darkened as he continued to tell the what was wrong with her. Grumpy remained seated up against the wall, his hands coming through his hair in an attempt to calm himself while Blade shook his head.

"If she doesnt fight this off, the fluid in her lungs will drown her," Crane told him, preparing for bullets to pierce his skin and punches to flow, "either that or that cough of hers will do her in."

He rose the napkin that Grumpy had left behind in order for them to see. Batman felt his whole body go numb as he steadied Blade who had swayed in his spot at the news. They hadnt seen the blood that she had coughed up, they knew what it meant.

Two people had told them the exact same thing, there was no way they could help her, nothing they could do.

"All we can do is keep her comfortable, see to it that she gets enough water to keep her hydrated, tend to her every need," Scarecrow added, turning to look at her. He doubted she would ask for much, she was going to be unconcious for the most part.

If she woke at any point, she would be a complete incoherent mess, the high fever that she had wouldnt allow her to do much of anything.

"I suggest you fetch me some towels and cold water, we need to keep her fever in check if she has any chance of pulling through," Crane pointed out, seeing how the four men in the room were petrified before him.

Blade was the first to move, walking over to Grumpy and urging the other man up. The pair hurried towards the door, murmuring accusations at eachother for not noticing her predicament earlier as they went for supplies.

"What are the actual chances of her seeing this through?" Bruce asked, sensing that the ex-psychologist had only induldged them with hope because of the pair of goons that had been in the room.

Scarecrow turned to look at him and the clown with a grim expression.

"To be honest, I dont think she'll last more that three days," he murmured, glancing sideways at her, "I've never seen anyone pull through without antibiotics."

Crane jumped in fear when the clown finally moved, expecting to be impaled by one of his knives. The madman stalked towards the door instead, shutting it behind himself with a monstrous bang.

Batman stared after the clown in shock as well, the noise of the door still ringing in his ears as he instructed Scarecrow to look after he while he went out and called on some favors. He doubted they would be able to do much, he doubted he would be able to save her, but he had to try.

There was no way he was going to let her go without a fight.

Scarecrow merely nodded and watched as the caped crusader left the room before sitting down beside Monica.

"Well there you have it," he whispered with a laugh, "you got the clown and the Bat in the same room without them going at eachother's throats."

He chuckled to himself as he shook his head and went through his routine. The madman made sure to check her temperature once more and made sure that she was comfortable on the bed by shifting her towards the center.

"J-Jack?" she called, in a state of delirium as her hand searched blindly for his. Scarecrow allowed her access to his own in an attempt to sooth her. He would have to find out who Jack was, surely she wouldnt call out for just anyone on her deathbed.

Upon storing the name for later thought, he closed his eyes when he heard the first of her coughs, ragged and harsh tearing through her throat. He did his best to sooth her, running his hand gently over her chest in an attempt to ease the ache that came with every cough.

The fact that it was already difficult for her to breathe alarmed him greatly. He sushed her and continued to comfort her, knowing her life hung in his hands.

If she died so did he.

And judging by the looks of it, he would have to start making plans for his own funeral soon.

**Review, I find less and less reviews, where are you guys? Dont dishearten me, make me want to update more! Review, the longer the better and I promise I will update with haste! Until next time my dears! **


	75. Dear Agony

**Dear Agony**

**A/N: Dear god, how long has it been? I am so terribly sorry for the long wait! I had major writer's block with this chapter and managed to hammer this out of my head after a while. I apologize once more to all of you guys who are still reading and reviewing, you are the only ones that keep me going. I hope I dont disappoint! **

_"Dear agony, _

_Just let go of me, _

_Suffer slowly, _

_Is this the way it's got to be? _

_Don't bury me, faceless enemy, _

_I'm so sorry, _

_Is this the way it't got to be, dear agony?_

_Leave me alone..._

_God, let me go..._

_All blue and cold, black skies will burn. _

_Love, pull me down, _

_Hate, lift me up, _

_Just turn around, there's nothing left. _

_Somewhere far beyond this world,_

_I feel nothing anymore."_

-Breaking Benjamin

* * *

><p>"Any changes?" Grumpy asked, knocking while he opened the door and poked his head into the room. Blade glanced up at him briefly from the book he was reading by Monica's bedside.<p>

The young goon turned his head towards the biker's sleeping form briefly as Grumpy let himself in.

"Nothing," Blade pointed out, seeing the other man walk towards the empty space on the bed next to Monica. A sad smile tugged at the edges of his lips as he saw Grumpy sit down next to her and sigh.

"Hey, darling," Grumpy whispered, unsure of whether she could hear him or not. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and shuddered when he felt her feverish skin beneath his palm.

Blade felt his heart sink when he saw how broken Grumpy was despite the mask that the other wore. The goon was coming undone before his very eyes and there was nothing he could to do to stop it.

"You gotta' wake up," Grumpy added, a hopeful tone hanging off of his words as he stared at Monica's blank face, "we're a mess without you here."

Blade looked up when he heard this, noting the silent plea that accompanied Grumpy's words.

"You cant expect me to take care of these idiots by myself," Blade added, knowing that she probably couldn't hear them. It didn't stop him from pleading either. As much as they all assured themselves that they could move on without her they knew they would all be dead within a week if she wasn't there to rein in the clown.

Grumpy felt his shoulders droop when he saw her remain perfectly still. He could very well unload an entire clip from a Beretta into her chest and bet his life on the fact that she would never know what hit her.

He took one of her hands into his own and held on as if his life depended on it. The pulse from her wrist felt weak against his fingers, reminding him of the thin thread that her life hung from.

His grip increased in a futile attempt to keep her from going under, as if his touch alone could stop her health from deteriorating.

Blade watched as Grumpy all but jumped out of his skin when Monica's brow furrowed and her lips dipped into a pained grimace. A series of nerve-wracking coughs tore through her lips and shook her frail frame.

"Easy, love," Blade whispered, rushing forward to soothe her and help her through the pain. Scarecrow had left them with little to go from when he had left the house to fetch some supplies that he would need later on.

Grumpy watched and growled through clenched teeth upon seeing her in agony. The fact that he couldn't do anything drove him mad. He could only wonder how she had managed to keep all of them fooled for such a long time.

He had heard her cough once or twice but other than that she had seemed perfectly fine to him. She had always greeted him with a smile and he had never stopped to see how forced it truly was. He had never noticed how she distanced herself more and more from them over the past few weeks.

It all made sense to him now.

Why she would lock herself in her room whenever she wasn't needed to settle matters that called for her specifically. Why she would refuse to let any of them in unless it was truly necessary. Why she would call for him less and less whenever she woke from a nightmare.

She had begun to distance herself when she realized that she wouldn't be able to hide her condition any longer.

She had been trying to ease the blow for them.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Grumpy snarled accusingly, shaking his head as Blade's face paled when he saw blood on the corner of her lips.

The young goon reached for one of the napkins that had been placed on her nightstand. He looked at her with frustration as he coaxed her unresponsive form to spit the offending liquid out onto the napkin.

It angered him as well, to know that she had avoided going to them for help, to know that she had willingly let it escalate so far.

"We could have avoided all this shit," Grumpy added, letting go of her hand in anger. Blade couldn't help but nod in agreement as he preoccupied himself with straightening the room up a bit, taking advantage of the fact that only he and Grumpy were present at the time.

The small space held small traces of everyone who stayed with her on a regular basis except for Batman. He would leave little to no evidence of his presence in the room whenever he was there.

He sighed as he picked up several empty cups of coffee piled up in the corner furthest away from the bed where Happy would sulk for hours on end. It amused the younger goon to no end, knowing that Happy refused to believe that she was slowly slipping away from them.

He would keep himself as far away from her as he possibly could, alert despite the countless hours of being awake due to the caffeine. He was her guard dog, ready to pounce on anything or anyone that approached her with the intent of doing her harm.

The couch in the room was Chuckles' territory. Blade walked over to it and folded the forgotten blanket that had been tossed over one of the armrests carelessly. He made sure to clean up the boxes of take out that had been neatly stacked beside it and gathered the pillows that had been tossed to the floor before placing them back where they belonged.

Chuckles was the one who ran errands for them. If Monica needed something that they didn't have in the room he would be the first goon on his feet, ready to run out and retrieve it.

Blade sighed when he had done what he could and turned towards the other chair that had been placed next to her bedside. His feet froze when he moved to straighten that area out. The purple coat and gloves that had been draped over the back of the chair were a clear warning to stay away.

That was the clown's space.

No one had tried to sit in his chair or disturb the things he had left on the nighstand beside her. No one was stupid enough to provoke him or set him off as of late.

The Joker represented them all without fully realizing it.

He would sit beside her quietly, his body relaxed while he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying what little time he had to catch a few minutes of sleep.

The occasional beep of the machine hooked up to check her pulse had become a calming hum in the back of his head, reminding him of how easily she could decide to give up then and there and allow her body to shut down.

It kept him from slipping into any form of deep sleep and at the same time comforted him enough to allow his tense muscles to ease upon being reminded that she was still alive.

The only time he would be alert would be when Scarecrow was in the room. His eyes following after Crane's every move, never missing a beat.

His whole body would tense, ready to pounce, whenever Crane leaned over Monica's defenseless figure to check her breathing or temperature. His jaw would clench involuntarily whenever the other madman placed his hands upon her to reposition her or massage her chest whenever she coughed uncontrollably.

He would take note of everything Scarecrow told them and store it in his mind for later use, refusing to let the other man out of his sight until he was gone.

Then and only then would his muscles slowly uncoil from their tense state. He would lean back and shuffle the deck of cards that he kept within arms length at all times, minding the heart rate monitors, before dimissing his goons and staying alone with her for an hour, two if he felt up to the task.

Blade merely shook his head, deciding against straightening out the Joker's space and moved towards his seat once more. He didnt have a death wish, he would leave everything like his boss had left it.

He was fully satisfied with how the room was at the moment anyway, there was nothing else he could do to make it neater.

Upon sitting down, both of them were brought out of their own thoughts by a sharp knock on the door followed by the telltale clicks of Scarecrow's shoes against the wooden floor beneath him.

"Gentlemen," he chuckled, enjoying the miserable look that both goons had on their faces. He would have been lying if he said he wasn't enjoying their current predicament.

He thrived on their pain, their fear of the unknown.

"What took you so long?" Blade snapped, glaring at the other man.

"Watch your tone," Scarecrow replied calmly, seeing the young goon back down reluctantly. The madman was notorious for his hallucinogen gas, the last thing Blade wanted was to taste a dose up close and personal.

"Move out of my way," Crane ordered, delighted with the response he was getting from the pair of goons. Without the clown in the room to enforce his control over the ex-psychologist they held no right to order him around.

He moved towards Monica silently, his footsteps calculated, as he set his bag down and went through the standard procedure of checking her vitals.

He nodded, mostly to himself, after he was done and rummaged through the contents in his bag. Blade watched with interest as he saw the other man pull out a syringe and a vial of clear liquid.

Scarecrow smiled to himself as he filled the syringe with the contents in the vial and set it down on the bed beside him.

"What is that?" Blade asked cautiously, knowing that in the clown's absence he was responsible for whatever happened to Monica.

"It'll help ease the pain," Scarecrow informed the pair who watched over his shoulder, hiding the label of the vial with his fingers. The last thing he wanted was for them to realize he was about to introduce morphine into Monica's system.

This was his own little jab at the clown.

The other man had been a fool if he thought that Scarecrow would help her out of the goodness of his heart. He had mixed a few of his own chemicals into the small vial before he had arrived, making sure that it would not only ease her pain but cause vivid dreams and hallucinations.

He knew the goons over his shoulder wouldn't suspect a thing, they would blame her current state if she started to act out. He would get to sit back at watch as her every fear and nightmare manifested itself and destroyed her from within. She would be completely helpless, unable to fight back.

If she managed to survive, he would make sure that by the time he was through with her she would become entirely dependent on morphine.

Either way, he got to administer his own medicine and cross the Joker in the process.

He tilted his head as he took out a tourniquet and wrapped it around her arm effortlessly. Blade watched nervously as Scarecrow traced Monica's vein and tapped it twice before reaching for the syringe and sliding it into her skin with ease.

The sadistic smile on his face was concealed from both of the goons watching behind his back as he closed his eyes and imagined what she would endure in a couple of hours. He had made sure that the effects weren't immmediate, giving him an alibi once the clown got back and questioned the injection.

He would simply tell them that it was to be expected with someone suffering from such a high fever combined with pneumonia.

Grumpy watched for any signs of discomfort on her face, ready to pull the ex-psychologist away if he harmed her, as Scarecrow pushed down the plunger and injected his personal morphine mix into her blood.

"There we go," Crane whispered, pulling the needle out of her skin, sealing her fate as he tossed it aside and stood.

"That's it?" Grumpy asked as he watched the madman collect his things and nod.

"I will be downstairs should you need me," he informed the goon, knowing that his presence was not welcome when the clown wasn't there to watch him.

He left before the pair of goons could say anything else, shutting the door behind him with a grin on his face. His feet carried him down the hall as he whistled to himself merrily, content with how the day had gone so far.

If he was being kept there against his will he was going to make the most of it. He would make sure that Monica suffered what he had endured at the hands of the clown prince of crime and the dark knight.

He would take advantage of the situation and make her his guinea pig for as long as he possibly could.

All he had to do was dance around the devil himself, being careful with how he went about with his experiments in order to avoid suspicion from the Joker.

He could only hope that Monica would survive long enough for him to have fun with her.

After all, it had been too long since he had tested any of his new hallucinogen drugs on a willing subject.

**Ah! All of my lovely reviewers are slowly coming back! Keep it up guys, I wanna know your thoughts! You guys are the reason I stay up to update this story, so if you haven't reviewed feel free to drop by and leave some love. Till next time! **


	76. Broken

**Broken**

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long! I recently got a job and my computer decided it was fed up with me and stopped working altogether! Updates will be once every one or two weeks! I hope you guys can forgive me for the long wait, I just need to get into the hang of things again so bear with me with this one. I promise to write back next time so leave your questions in your review, I am completely burnt out, this took a lot out of me my dears. On a different note, the italicized parts are the hallucinations, they arent really there, they're just synched up with what's happening in reality just thought Id clear that up. With that said, enjoy! **

"Hello, boys," Scarecrow announced loudly, walking into the room without so much as a knock. Grumpy immediately tensed upon seeing the ex-psychiatrists voice.

"What do you want, Crow, she hasnt shown any signs of waking up," Blade snapped bitterly from across the room. The dark circles under his eyes intensified his glare as his lip curled upwards in disgust.

"I come in peace, gentlemen," Scarecrow added, placing his bag on her nightstand before opening it and reaching in. Grumpy's shoulders visibly dropped when he saw the clear vial in the madman's hands followed by a long needle.

He knew where this was going already.

Blade's leg bounced up and down at a rapid rate as he watched Scarecrow lean in and apply the painkiller. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, feeling them burn in protest due to lack of sleep, before opening them once more and sighing.

Scarecrow watched as the liquid drained from the syringe and tilted his head upon noticing the slight twitch from her hand as he backed away.

He straightened himself when he felt the room cool, already knowing who had just arrived. His head turned to the side as a wide smile graced his lips upon seeing the new arrival.

"Standard painkiller, nothing you havent seen before," he stated, tossing the bottle in his hand towards the clown prince of crime who stood in the doorway. He had made sure to apply an over the counter drug instead of the morphine. He knew the clown would recognize it immediately and have his head for messing with his squeeze.

What he didnt know wouldnt kill him.

It would only kill her.

The vial shattered as the Joker's shaking hand closed around it. His patience was running thin, the three corpses adorning the staricase were proof of that.

He didnt need to see what Scarecrow was injecting into her, if she so much as uttered a whimper of pain he would have the ex-psychiatrists intestines adorning the chandelier outside. The only thing that kept him alive was the fact that he health hadn't deteriorated since he had seen her last.

Grumpy's body froze when he saw the glass cut into the clown's hand. They were running out of time, the more she went without waking the more likely he'd turn on them next in frustration.

Crane's eye twitched when the Joker's attention fell on him again, his body stumbling back in an attempt to get away from the madman looming over him.

"Don't cross me, Crane," the clown warned, smiling from ear to ear, reaching for the other man. Scarecrow cringed when the Joker's hand seized his jaw. A hiss left his lips when the madman forced him to look up towards him, the leftover glass in his palm digging into Scarecrow's skin.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Crane managed to grunt as the clown's clouded eyes narrowed slowly.

Scarecrow tried to remain calm, he was a master of mind games after all. He could fool the clown for a few more days. All he had to do was keep him under the impression that he was under control, it couldnt be that difficult, right?

The Joker bit the inside of his cheek while staring the doctor down. He had been right when he guessed that the other was up to something, he could see it in his eyes. Now all he had to do was show him the consequences should he choose to go through with whatever he was planning.

"I have something for you," the clown stated suddenly, his whole demeanor doing a 360 as he took a step back. A wicked smile spread across his scarred cheeks when the hand that he had kept behind his back came into view.

Scarecrow's breath faltered as the clown handed him something wet and slimy. His unfocused eyes stared in horror at the wall over the clown's shoulder when the other leaned forward.

"Don't forget who you're dealing with," the Joker chuckled, clicking his tongue as he moved away from Crane.

The ex-psychologist willed himself to look down when he no longer felt the clown's proximity and promptly dropped the object in his hand. A mask of flesh stared back up at him, the cheeks cut into the clown's trademark Glasgow smile. He felt the sudden urge to throw up upon realizing that the blood beneath the skin was still warm.

Blade closed his eyes upon seeing what had just transpired and silently prayed that the clown kept Scarecrow alive until they no longer needed him. If the Joker disposed of him now they would have to look for another doctor willing to treat her with him there.

Not to mention they would be needing new goons as well, they were running short. The face on the floor indicated that they had lost another man.

Crane wiped the offending blood off on his black pants without thinking before stopping altogether when he heard Monica cough roughly. The clown's head snapped over to her when he saw her hands grip the sheets beside her.

The ex-psychiatrist felt his blood run cold when he realized what was happening. He had stopped administering the regular dose of morphine and fear serum that her body was used to. The change of chemicals sparked a stronger reaction than what he had expected.

Scarecrow cursed inwardly when her eyes snapped open in fear. He moved forward just as a scream tore through her throat due to something only she could see.

"Darling?" Grumpy asked, cringing upon hearing another scream escape from her lips. He moved forward when she stared to unplug herself from all of the machines around her in an attempt to get away from her imaginary fear.

"No!" Her hoarse voice cried, ignoring everyone around her. Her eyes were focused on the familiar figure of her brother standing in the center of the room, a gunshot wound adorning his chest.

She watched as blood seeped out and pooled around him on the floor. All of the guilt and pain from losing him that night came flooding back at once.

'_You did this to me!' _he barked accusingly, hand over the wound on his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He snapped his fingers and in an instant she heard the familiar sound of a a gun being fired. She looked down to her own chest to see an identical wound piercing her skin.

Her breathing grew erratic as the clown moved forward to hold her down when she attempted to get up. She was in no state to move around, she would only harm herself further.

His teeth grit in rage upon seeing her bleeding arms from where she had managed to rip out the needles that had been imbedded into her skin.

"It isnt real!" Blade yelled at her, pinning her thrashing legs as she shook her head and continued to stare at the center of the room.

Lila appeared next to her brother, before inching towards the foot of the bed.

'_You deserved to die! I was never supposed to be there!' _she shrieked, reaching towards her. An earsplitting scream left Monica's lips as Lila dug her nails into her legs and dragged her hands down with a snarl.

"Damn it, it isnt real!" Blade shouted, watching as she bucked her hips, trying to throw both him and the clown off.

"Im sorry!" Monica yelled, trying to quiet the voices in her head. They were shouting accusations at her, demands, death threats. She wanted it to stop, she wanted to go back to nothingness.

Scarecrow remained frozen, watching the scene play out with wide eyes before Grumpy turned on him in the blink of an eye. His body spun towards the door in a fraction of a second before running as if the devil himself were after him. They had figured it out, there was no sense in staying behind unless he wanted to die by the clown's hand.

Blade watched as Grumpy ran after the ex-psychologist, all but ramming the door when Crane slammed it shut behind him. He couldnt help but smile slightly when he saw it come off its hinges as soon as Grumpy came into contact with it.

He could only pray that the other goon would catch up to him before he managed to leave the house.

"Go after him," the Joker snarled, using more force to hold Monica down as she mumbled apologies and cried for forgiveness.

"Boss-" Blade started before seeing the piercing gaze that the clown threw at him. He nodded and released Monica, running towards the door while glancing back at the pair one last time before leaving.

"Come on, doll, I taught you better!" the Joker snarled, holding her down as she attempted to get up and run once more.

_'I taught you better, you're nothing but a disgrace,' _Bruno, her father, spat, standing beside her as her head snapped towards him in an instant. His chest spewed blood, staining the white covers beneath her.

The Joker turned his head to follow her gaze and was met with nothing but an empty space.

'_You should have died with us that night, it would have saved your brother,'_ her mother, Mercedes, added from the other side of the bed. Monica's head turned towards her upon recognizing the harsh tone. She watched as her own mother held her arms down forcefully.

"Stop!" she cried, watching as her father slowly dragged his knife down her arm and severed the veins near her wrist. A blinding white pain coursed through her body as she watched her life slip through her fingers.

'_Baby, this is where you've landed,_' Judas' voice taunted her as he appeared over her. Monica panicked as she watched him straddle her waist and pin her arms abover her head with one of his own.

The Joker mirrored Judas' actions, uknown to her, and tried to keep her from exerting more damage onto herself as he noticed her go completely still under his hold.

'_Look at you, nothing more than his whore, his bitch,_' Judas growled, smacking her cheek mockingly.

The clown tapped her cheek gently with his hand in an attempt to see what stage of the hallucinogen she was in.

"You're dead," Monica choked, looking directly at the clown but seeing Judas instead. The Joker shook his head at her in frustration, he knew who she was seeing and he felt temper snap upon seeing how submissive she was to a mere phantom.

"This isnt real," the clown growled at her, shaking her for emphasis as Monica shrunk back into the bed.

''_This is real,_' Judas chuckled, shaking her to prove his point, '_Im here, babe.'_

"Please..." Monica whimpered, trying to get away from Judas as he wrapped his spare hand around her neck and applied pressure, "I'll do anything, please just stop."

The Joker froze upon hearing this, his hold on her hands faltering upon processing what she had just said. How many times had she degraded herself to appease the biker?

"Doll, wake up!" he snarled, refusing to see her like this.

"Please, I'll be good," she choked, "I'll be good, I promise!"

He noted the way she seemed to shrink further and further into the comforter, expecting a blow. His blood boiled as he felt his lip twitch in rage as his grip on her wrists increased drastically.

A gasp left her lips when her body registered pain and failed to connect it to Judas. Her eyes darted around in confusion when Judas' image above her faded for a few seconds.

The Joker saw her eyes focus on him for a brief moment before they unfocused once more.

"Time to wake up, beautiful," he whispered, reaching into his pocket and searching for his knife. The more apologies and offers she mumbled the more irritated her grew. He was more than willing to put her through some pain if it meant having her snap out of her panicked state.

He cut through the top of her shirt and twirled the knife around in his hand before placing it over the faded 'J' on her collarbone. He glanced up at her briefly before smiling to himself. It was about time she came back to him, he didnt care what it took. He would carve her entire body if it meant having her back in her right mind.

A hiss of pain left her lips when he dug the knife into her skin and started to reopen the healed wound. He watched with gleeful eyes as her blood oozed out and stained her pale skin.

Her head fell back into the mass of pillows behind her and her body relaxed underneath him. He let go of her hands cautiously but went back to holding them when he noticed she was stirring.

Her tired half lidded eyes opened slowly, looking around the room before they landed on him. He expected a long lecture regarding his absence over the past year, at the very least a question as to why he was sitting on top of her.

"Where..." she croaked, her throat raw from all of her screaming, "where were you when I needed you."

The Joker felt his smile drop upon hearing her. This wasnt the woman he was used to hearing or seeing. There was something seriously wrong with her, the fire in her eyes was gone.

Her bony hands wrapped around the one he had used to hold her wrists together, trying to see if he was really there. She had lost count of how many times she had had conversations with nothing more than his memory.

She felt warm skin beneath her shaking fingers, causing relief to flood through her, he was real.

Upon realizing this, she resigned to laying beneath him, refusing to get up or tell him to move away. There was no point anymore, she was of no use to him now, she was broken beyond repair. He had said it himself, he would kill her the day she stopped being resourceful.

That day had finally arrived. She didnt think herself capable of standing, much less running errands with him in Gotham once more.

All she could do was lay there and hope he would get it over with soon. She didn't want to deal with anything anymore. She didnt want to go back to her chaotic life, not when the darkness that had surrounded her for more than two weeks beckoned for her return.

Her mind had beaten her down so many times that she now believed everything it whispered venomously to her.

The clown didnt need her, he had Blade and Grumpy.

The goons could fend for themselves, they had already done so for over a year.

She didnt need to exist, she would only get in the way.

A small smile tugged at the edges of her lips as the pain coursing through her body slowly started to fade away. She could feel the morphine kicking in, making everything around her a beautiful numb blur.

An apathetic sigh left her lips as she tried to figure out why she was still breathing.

"Doll?" the Joker questioned, seeing the dull look in her eyes when she turned to acknowledge him.

Alarms were going off in his head, something was really wrong.

"Beautiful?" he whispered, shaking her shoulder as she turned her head away from him without so much as a reply.

She didnt want to listen to him.

All she wanted was to be left alone.

Was that too much to ask?

She felt her eyelids grow heavy as the drug slowly took over her mind, calming her frenzied thoughts and feelings. She felt blissful when all of her troubles were replaced with a quiet hum.

"Boss, we need to move," Blade announced from the doorway, catching his breath as he held the frame. He noted how Monica was now relaxed and the clown looked anything but calm.

The Joker turned his head towards his goon, demanding an explination.

"He got away, he managed to slow us down," the young good explained, holding a bleeding bullet wound near his leg. The clown wondered how he hadn't heard a gun go off as he dismissed Blade. He stumbled off of the bed, hating the fact that everything was backfiring on him.

The wounds his goons sustained from Scarecrow would pale in comparison to the ones they would receive from him when he got a hold of his men for being so incompetent.

He had more pressing matters at the moment, however, such as changing their location. Scarecrow had most likely already called half of Gotham to let them know where he was, they needed to leave soon.

The clown glanced back at Monica, rolling his shoulders before picking her up and heading towards the door. He had no doubt she would recover on the road, she had no choice now.

After all, she hadnt gotten worse over the past few days, perhaps she was finally getting better.

He couldnt afford to stay behind and ponder his decision of destabilizing her any further, they were losing precious time. With his mind made up he made his way down the bloodied stairs, ignoring the trio of impaled bodies on the banister, while heading towards the entrance of the house.

"Take her to my car," her ordered, handing her off to Grumpy who nodded despite the bullet wound on one of his shoudlers. He gingerly took her into his arms and did as the clown had ordered.

The Joker watched as his goons rushed about gathering the essentials before running out of the door. He started to walk out as well before something caught his eye.

He crouched to retrieve the gun that Scarecrow used to shoot his hallucinogen into his victims with an eerie smile. The Joker realized that the man must have dropped it on his way out earlier.

It glimmered in his palm, much like the blades he often carried, and was lightweight enough for his liking.

"We're gonna have _so_ much fun-ah," he cackled to the gun, storing it within his coat for later use.

He'd make Scarecrow pay for everything he had done.

The Joker had, after all, shown him part of what would happen if Crane ever crossed him.

All he had to do was get back to Gotham and set everything in motion after taking care of his squeeze.

**Review! And yes, those of you who left those long reviews...I love you! You know who you are, I'll give a shoutout next chappie. Let me know what you though, did ya like? Bet ya didnt see that coming huh? Till next time my dears! **


	77. You

**You**

**A/N: Hello, my dears Im back! I'm trying to get better with updates but life has been hectic as of late. I hope you can forgive your dear author and enjoy this chapter, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things so it isnt my magnum opus. Enjoy and bear with me and pardon any typos! **

_"My hands are broken, _

_And time is going on and on, _

_It goes forever..._

_So I got high and lived all that life that I have take all for granted..."_

_-Breaking Benjamin_

Monica could feel her head reel when a constant hum brought her out of her drug induced sleep. Her eyes opened slowly, unaccustomed to the low light that shone beside her.

She turned towards it source, realizing that it formed a straight line next to her on the floor.

A plane.

She was on a plane, looking down at the aisle lights in the center to guide passengers in the dark.

Panic coursed through her when she failed to remember how she had gotten there. In fact, she remembered little to nothing of the past few days.

Her breathing grew erratic when she tried to get up and failed to. Her body refused to move despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Baby?" a nearby voice called, sounding distant. Monica turned her head towards it slowly, closing her eyes when her vision started to spin. Her hand reached up to hold the side of her head in an attempt to steady herself.

She dug her nails into her scalp in an attempt to get some sort of feeling back into her body. The sharp pain that ran down her neck upon completing the action assured her that she was still alive.

"Grumpy?" she croaked, reaching blindly towards the source of the voice. It had to be him, it always was.

"You need to rest, go back to sleep," his voice replied. A relieved but exhausted sigh left her lips when she felt one of his hands wrap around her own.

"What...where are we going?" she asked, hissing in pain when a splitting pain assaulted her head. It made her clench her jaw and dig her nails into Grumpy's hand unintentionally.

"Gotham, we're going back to Gotham," he replied, unsure of how she would take this news. Her eyes opened slowly upon hearing him, trying to focus on his figure. Her whole world started to crumble around her when she heard his response.

She didnt want to go back.

She couldnt go back.

"No, no!" she cried, trying to pull away from him. Her mind tried to reason with her body, it tried to tell her that there was no point in arguing. There was little to nothing that she could do now that she was on a plane.

"Breathe," Grumpy ordered, panicking when he saw her gasp for air. The grip that she held on his hand increased to the point of it becoming painful.

A series of coughs raked through her chest as she reached for Grumpy's shirt, trying to ground herself as images flashed before her eyes.

She couldn't go back to Gotham, she was an utter failure.

She couldnt face Bruce or her club again.

Not after she had let them down time and time again.

"I cant go back, Grumpy," she rasped between coughs, tasting blood in her mouth. She could feel her body temperature drop by the second as she picked her head up to look at her surroundings.

Her eyes snapped over to the small window next to Grumpy when she noticed that they werent off the ground yet.

Without warning, she sprung up off the seat and stumbled into the aisle of the plane.

She had to get away while she still had a chance, while she could still run away from everything. Every muscle in her body was screaming at her to lay down and never move again but her thoughts urged her forward, pushed her to her breaking point.

A pained cry left her lips when she tripped over Happy's outstretched legs when she passed by his seat and hit the carpeted floor.

The dull thud managed to wake Blade from his light sleep in an instant. His eyes widened when he saw how she clawed at the seats in an attempt to stand once more.

Grumpy cursed before leaving his seat, he should have known that something like this would happen.

"I cant go back," Monica whispered to herself, fighting back tears of pain as she managed to stand again. Her fingers clawed at the scars that the endless supply of painkillers had left behind in desperation as she ignored all of the goons that yelled at her to stop.

She could barely make out who was who when she turned back to look at them. All she saw were a couple of blurs fighting with each other to get to her through the narrow aisle.

Blood ran down the corner of her mouth as she fought the urge to bite down harder on her cheek. The pain coursing through her body was getting worse and the screams in her head were getting louder.

She needed one more injection of whatever Crane had introduced into her body.

Just one more.

"Boss!" Blade's voice yelled, hoping to wake the clown who slept at the very front of the plane by the door.

There was no way any of the goons were going to reach her in time in their panicked state.

He would rather deal with the clown's wrath after he grabbed her and stopped her from going outside than deal with him after he realized that they had let her walk right out of the plane.

"Where do ya think you're going?" the Joker asked with amusement when he saw Monica lean up against the entrance of the plane.

Her pale hand wrapped around the red lever, tugging it with whatever strength she had left despite his warning.

His chocolate eyes gleamed with interest when he saw her fall back into the tunnel that had been attatched to the plane when they boarded. He picked his body up off the seat with a sigh and started to walk over to her.

"Doll, you are more trouble than I am willing to put up with," he snapped, pulling out his favorite blade. Grumpy paled when he heard the familiar click of the blade being opened. He watched with horror as the clown walked out of the plane and disappeared from his sight.

Monica wheezed hearing footsteps behind her. Her arms shook as she fought to drag her body away from the madman who quickly reached her and stopped her.

She turned her head and watched as he crouched beside her, pinning her down with his knee. A silent cry left her lips when she felt him use his full weight to hold her down painfullly.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" he whispered to her, pressing the blade against the side of her neck. She couldn't stop her back from arching in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure that he was applying onto it.

Monica ignored him and tried to get up, clawing at the ground frantically. The clown's brow rose when he saw some of her nails begin to lift from her fingers. Blood started to seep out from a couple as she continued to rake them over the harsh stone surface.

"Stop that," he hissed warningly at her, digging his knee in futher. He knew it would leave a nasty bruise the next day. An aggravated growl left his scarred lips when he saw her panic increase.

He pulled the knife back and flipped her onto her back in an attempt to get her to stop clawing at the floor. She managed to buck him off before he regained his balance and lunged at her.

One of his hands wrapped around he neck and slammed her head down mercilessly. A smile graced his lips when he heard the pleasing crack that followed when her skull connected with the ground.

Monica choked, coughing out blood and gasping for air after the collision. Her hands wrapped around his own as she tried to get him to ease his grip.

The Joker chuckled when he realized that most of her nails were useless, some already peeled off in her crazed attempt to get away earlier.

"Are you done?" he asked dangerously, his smile gone. He leaned forward, his features darkening. Monica could tell that he was in no mood for games, if her answer displeased him he would surely finish her then and there.

Her pain overrode everthing else in her mind, however, making her act irrationally, forgetting the danger that she was in whenever she dealt with the clown.

"I'm not going back!" she screamed, clenching her fist despite the pain that tore another cry from her throat. She swung at his face without hesitation, adrenaline rushing through her when she saw her fist connect with his cheek.

The Joker's head snapped to the side, his chest rising up and down rapidly in anger when a dull pain came from his scars. He could already taste blood in his mouth from a cut on the inside of his cheek.

He growled, the sound vibrating through his chest as his lips curled upwards into a frightening smile.

He was going to break _every_ bone in her body.

Monica felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the look on his face. She had pushed him before, seen what he was capable of when it came to her but she had never seen him like this.

Her breathing came in irregular bursts when she realized the position he had her in. He was straddling her body, holding her down with little to no effort. She was too vulnerable, unable to protect herself should he choose to finally dispose of her.

Fear started to creep through her when he released her neck and tilted his head as if he were debating on how to kill her. She could hear his teeth grit against one another when he clenched his jaw.

A gasp left her lips when he grabbed her shirt and heaved her up harshly.

He tossed her effortlessly towards the nearest wall and pinned her to it with his forearm over her neck.

"Joker?" she whipsered, hoping to get through to him as she struggled to raise her arms and touch his face. She could feel her throat constricting, less and less air was making its way into her lungs.

She could barely make out the fearful look on Blade's face when she caught a sight of him over the clown's shoulder. Monica watched as the younger goon struggled to hold Grumpy back once he saw what was happening.

There was nothing he could do. If he so much as spoke the clown wouldnt hesitate to turn around and shoot all of them.

"I'll go back," Monica pleaded, crying in frustration when her arms gave out and her body started to go numb. At this point she wasnt doing this for herself, she was doing it for the goons.

The moment he killed her and grew bored he would turn on them in an instant. She could face humiliation and shame for them if it mean keeping them alive.

The Joker continued to cut off her air, relishing the dying light in her eyes. All he had to do was wait for a couple more seconds and he would be rewarded with the dull glaze that he had craved to see in her eyes since they had first met.

"Jack, it's me," Monica whimpered, trying to get through to him, "please, stop!"

The clown blinked several times, registering what she had just said. The pressure that he was applying onto her neck didnt descrease even when he saw her eyes roll up and her head fall forward into this arm. He watched as her arms fell lifelessly beside her with a blank expression on his face.

'_Jack_,' a voice echoed through his head, even as he continued to stare at Monica's unmoving body. He slowly released her and watched as she slid down the wall before crumpling onto the floor. His eyes snapped shut as he tried to place the source of the disturbance.

A hiss left his lips when pain shot through his head. He reached up to hold the side of his face with one of his hands while the other stayed on the wall to hold himself up.

_'I love you, Jack_,' it echoed again.

It was Jeanie, it had to be.

'_Jack, it's me_!" the same voice from before screamed, causing him to stop and shake his head.

No, this wasnt Jeanie.

It wasn't Jeanie...

His eyes snapped open in horror before staring down at Monica when he realized it had been her all along.

"She's dead," Grumpy's voice yelled off in the distance, "she's fucking dead!"

The clown slowly crouched in front of her, reaching out to touch her arm with apprehension. He didnt know what he was hopping for at this point. A part of him wanted her to remain lifeless on the floor, another wanted her to wake up, scream, and hit him. Anything that would show him that she was still alive.

"I-I thought I lost you," Monica's weak voice whispered, causing him to jump and pull his hand back as if her skin were on fire. An unfamiliar feeling spread throughout his body when he saw her open her eyes slowly.

He scoffed when he processed what she had just said.

"I'm sorry," she added, motioning towards his cheek before he could speak. She knew how sensitive he was about the pair of scars, she should have known better. Still, that didnt mean that she was willing to forgive him just yet and run back into his arms.

The Joker watched as she struggled to sit up, refusing to help her. He didnt trust himself with her at the moment.

Grumpy calmed down once he saw her body move, relieved that she wasnt dead after all. He moved forward to help her but stopped when Blade blocked his way, shaking his head. Interrupting the clown while his mood was unpredictable was dangerous at best.

"Well, this is heartwarming, _mi amor,_" a stranger stated, breaking the silence in between the pair. The clown's eyes went from Monica to the source of the new arrival in a fraction of a second.

Monica closed her eyes when she realized who it was.

"Alhambra," Monica growled in disgust, remembering that they were still in Mexico, it was only a matter of time until the cartel caught wind of her departure. She should have known that they wouldnt let her leave until they said she could. It was one of the reasons she had wanted to stay, she still had unfinished business with them.

"I hate to interrupt," Alhambra chuckled, walking over to her, "but you cant leave."

He stopped when he saw the clown stand and step over Monica with a glare directed towards him.

"I'm...not in the mood," Monica replied, struggling to catch her breath as she struggled to stand as well. She held on to the clown's arm to keep herself from falling before facing the cartel member that had been sent to retrieve her.

"I'll make this quick then," he stated, "you know how this works, come with me and I'll kill the rest of them quickly."

The clown chuckled when he heard the other man's threat. He knew this would happen and was more than prepared to deal with them.

Did the cartel underestimate him that much?

"What's so funny, _payaso_?" Alhambra spat, turning towards the men that stood behind him. They rose the AK-47s in their hands towards the pair that stood a few feet away.

Monica tensed when she saw this and held on to the clown's arm with a death grip despite the injuries to her nails.

"This airport will blow up 30 seconds," the Joker explianed, motioning for Blade to start the plane behind his back, "by the time you manage to take her from me we'll all be reduced to bits and pieces."

Alhambra paled, understanding what the other man was saying.

The hired guns behind him all backed away, looking for a quick way out while he stared the madman down venemously. His hands were tied, there was nothing he could do now but run.

"You're running out of time," the Joker sang, pushing Monica behind him while urging her to walk back into the plane.

"This isnt over, Monica," Alhambra barked, "we'll find you wherever you run!"

The clown shook his head when Alhambra and the other men that had been with him bolted out of the door. He spun around and picked Monica up before flinging her over his shoulder while rushing over to the plane.

His back up plan would backfire on them if they didnt make it out of the airport in time as well.

Blade sighed in relief when he heard the door close behind them and backed the private jet out of the terminal.

"Blade, hurry up!" Happy yelled, glancing back at the airport nervously while the younger goon lined the jet up with the take off ramp.

"You're not helping, Hap!" Blade snapped, trying to do everything rapidly. Monica glanced back and forth between him and the clown, praying that they would be off the ground by the time the explosives went off.

"Get us off the ground, Blade!" Grumpy snapped, trying to calm himself when he checked the watch on his wrist.

"Come on, come on!" Blade growled, knowing that they had to pick up more speed. He pulled up on the wheel as soon as he could seeing the remaining 5 seconds that they had, praying that they had put enough distance between themselves and the aiport.

Monica jumped and held on to the clown when the explosives went off loudly behind them. They all braced themselves as a shockwave passed through the jet, knocking several of them off of their feet.

"We're alive!" Chuckles exclaimed, jumping up and down with glee while Happy shook his head in embarrassment beside him despite the grin on his face.

Blade relaxed into the pilot's seat, taking his time now that they were far away from any danger. He let the plane gain altitude natrually, shaking his head when he noticed that half of the goons were already making themselves comfortable in the various seats throughout the plane.

Monica released the clown out of the grip that she held on him and moved away from him cautiously. She didnt want to push her luck after what had happened earlier.

She settled in beside Grumpy who took her into his arms the moment she sat down and started to treat all of her wounds.

She fell asleep as he bandaged her fingers, unable to rest fully due to the constant throbbing that came from her damaged fingernails.

They reached Gotham in the middle of the night, having timed everything down to the last second. The last thing they wanted was to arrive in broad daylight where they might be spotted before they had a chance to regain their footing.

The jet was left at a private airport outside of the ciry, forgotten until they had use for it again, and was replaced by the trademark Escalades that the clown was so fond of.

The drive back to Monica's apartment was uneventful and quiet much to her suprise. She had expected a rough welcoming after her year of absence. Not that she was complaining, she didnt mind having a chance to catch her breath before she was thrown back into the chaos that made Gotham infamous.

Little did she know that Bruce had already been alerted of her arrival by Blade and Grumpy an hour ago. He had made sure that the streets were clear when they arrived to reduce the chance of exposing her to any danger.

She breathed out slowly when they finally pulled up to her apartment and headed inside. All she wanted to do was sleep, she had had enough explosions and near death experiences for the day.

Grumpy watched as she ignored the goons that had been waiting for them and headed towards her room. She could only pray that they had stayed out of it while she had been gone.

She was hit with the smell of gunpowder, grease makeup, and blood as soon as she stepped in.

A small smile spread through her features when she noted that this had been the clown's room in her absence.

She headed directly towards the bed, hoping to lie down and never have to get up again before a small black box caught her attention.

It had been placed in the center of the bed carefully with a note attached on top of it. She approached it wearily, knowing that it could be a bomb or worse before taking the note and backing away.

Her pale fingers opened it and clutched the paper in a death grip when she read the simple sentence that had been written just for her.

''_They're my treat, darling, you know where to find me when you run out._

_-Scarecrow'_

She approached the box carefully and let the note slip from her hand onto the floor. After a minute of debating with herself she sat on the bed and crossed her legs before placing the box in her lap and opening it, knowing full well what was inside even before she opened it.

Three clear vials of morphine stared up at her along with a needle and a tourniquet.

**Review! And for the guy that said that this story never ends, I hate to break it to ya bud but it does have and ending. It's coming up sooner than later, for all of you guys who are out there wondering! Thank you for sticking with me so far and putting up with my lack of updates as of late, I hope you know you guys are what keep me going. Thank you once more. **


	78. Coming Undone

Coming Undone

A/N: Well I am proud to say that I am getting better at updating! Pardon any typos and enjoy!

"He's brough her back?" Black Mask asked incredulously, sitting back in his chair as he listened to Scarecrow's update.

"Even someone as dull as you could have seen that coming," Scarecrow snapped, fixing his glasses before turning his attention back onto Goeth.

"This is a problem," Crane continued, "he'll put a bullet in the skull of anyone who comes within a mile radius of her."

"Killing her vill not be easy," Victoria added form beside the ex-psychologist, "you should have done it when you had the chance!"

Goeth's eyes snapped over to her warningly, silencing her in an instant. He didnt need to be told what to do or how to do it.

"You have much to learn," he pointed out, "your impatience will only get you killed."

Victoria huffed and ran a hand through her hair. If it were up to her she would have broken down the door to Monica's appartment and gunned her down where she stood a long time ago.

"I have already begun to unravel her, she will destroy herself," Goeth stated, folding his hands neatly out in front of him. Scarecrow's lips rose into a knowing smile once when the German cast him a sideways glance.

"But what about the Joker? He'll kill you as soon as he knows your involved and back in Gotham," Black Mask pointed out, the scowl beneath his mask hidden from view. They were forgetting Monica's deadliest defence, as long as the clown stood between them and her they wouldnt be able to get close.

"She will take care of him for us," Goeth replied, causing Victoria and Black Mask to look at him simultaniously.

"No, she will not turn on him," Victoria stated, a chuckle leaving her lips as she shook her head in denial. Goeth seemed unfazed by her reaction.

Scarecrow glanced down to his lap when he felt his phone vibrate within his pocket. He reached in and smiled to himself, seeing the message on the dim screen. The German's brow rose when he saw this, his eyes closed as he leaned back into the chair he sat in with a sigh.

"If you'll excuse me," Crane started, rising from his seat after nodding to Goeth knowingly, "I have an urgent matter to attend to."

Victoria followed Scarecrow with a scowl on her features, annoyed that he got to carry out her father's will while she sat still in the confinements of their current warehouse.

"If the clown catches wind of what you're doing, we'll all be dead before she has the chance to shoot her arm up with any more of that shit," Black Mask spat, rising as well.

He glared after Scarecrow, walking after him without pausing to see if Goeth said anything else.

"Do you think this will go your way?" Victoria asked, turning to look at her father. There was nothing she wanted more than to see Monica reduced to a shell of her former self. To see her come undone before her very eyes and lose everything she cared about.

"Patience," Goeth replied, the smirk on his lips sending chills down Victoria's spine. She watched as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag before blowing out the air through his nose.

She had never seen him so sure of himself before.

There was no way this was going to backfire on him and he was willing to stake his life on it.

All Victoria could do was sit back and wait for Scarecrow to come back and keep them up to date on everything that happened in Gotham.

"Watch yourself Johnny boy," Black Mask hissed as the two stepped out of the room and walked down the hall, "remember who you're fucking with."

Scarecrow nodded, checking the small vial in his coat as Black Mask opened the door and waited for him to step out before letting it slam shut behind them.

"I've got the Joker covered," Crane stated confindently, "just keep the Bat entertained."

Black Mask stared after him as he turned the corner and waved goodbye without turning back to look at him.

He sighed and clenched his teeth, the action hidden behind his mask as he turned on his heel and headed towards his own car parked a few blocks down.

He pulled out his phone and skimmed through some of the contacts, pondering how each conversation would play out if he pulled the right strings.

A single key was hit as he rose the phone up to his ear and glanced up at the clear sky above him. He couldnt think of anyone better to pull Batman's attention away from his prized toy.

He hummed in content when the other man picked up the line with a disapproving snarl.

"Good to hear you too, Deathstroke."

* * *

><p>Monica tapped her foot against the sidewalk nervously, glancing from side to side before checking her phone for the tenth time that night.<p>

She unconciously scratched the puncture wounds that the needles had left behind on her arm before pulling her sleeve down and crossing her arms.

Her hand ran through her hair in an attempt to calm her nerves as she shifted her weight from one foot to another.

"It isnt safe to be out alone, especially for you," Crane's voice commented from beside her as he stepped out of an alley and approached her. Monica's eyes shot to him in an instant, feeling exposed as she held her ground.

"Don't patronize me, Scarecrow," she snapped, reaching into her coat before pulling out the three vials that he had left behind in her appartment.

Scarecrow's eyes widened when he saw her shove them into his chest, suprise apparent in his eyes.

"I dont need your help," she snapped, turning to walk away from him quickly before her body betrayed her mind. Her limbs were screaming at her to turn around and take the vials back from him, to relieve the pain that she was in. Her mind was made up, all she had to do was walk away from him.

She closed her eyes, the sudden darkness reminding her of the painless bliss that her body slipped into whenever he had administered the painkiller. He could make everything fade away, all she had to do was ask.

"You called to give them back?" Scarecrow called after her, causing her to stop in her tracks. Her tense shoulders and clenched fists told him everything he needed to know.

She was fighting to keep herself from turning around.

"I dont need your help," she replied, her own voice sounding unsure even to her. She couldnt give in to her urges now, not after she had tried so hard to keep the needle away from her skin.

"Yes you do," Crane stated, walking after her, "how much more can you take before he breaks you?"

Monica tensed when she heard this, her mind flooded with the sight of black, red, and white grease paint.

"How much blood can you afford shed, how many bullets can your body take, how many lives are you willing to lose?" Scarecrow continued, knowing exactly where to cut whenever it came to the clown's squeeze.

Monica turned on him in the blink of an eye after hearing his last question.

Her hands siezed his coat and pushed him back into the alley, away from any eyes that might have been on them during their conversation.

"I wont resort to a drug to escape my pitiful life," she snarled at him, slamming him into the nearest wall. This wasnt as simple as he was making it sound, she wasnt going to let him control her through drugs.

Scarecrow tilted his head upon feeling the collision, it had hurt but not as much as it should have. His calculating eyes trailed over Monica, narrowing dangerously when he started to pick up on things he had missed before.

He could tell that she hadnt slept well in days or eaten much for that matter.

"How are your lungs treating you?" he struggled to ask as she used her forearm to put pressure on his neck. The sneer on her features told him everything he needed to know. She pulled her hand back to punch him and hope that the pain was enough to keep him quiet for more than few seconds.

Monica paused, however, when a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Her eyes traveled upwards as a figure leapt across the space in between the buildings above their heads, dropping a smoke grenade next to themm.

Her eyes widened when she heard the familiar click as she pulled away from Scarecrow to use her sleeve to cover up her nose.

The ex-psychologist used Deathstroke's convenient and unexpected distraction to his advantage, slipping out of her grasp and jogging down the alley, putting some distance between them.

"I'll be waiting for your call," he laughed, counting on her resolve to fade as the pain her body was in increased.

Monica stared at the direction he had run off to before glancing up towards the rooftops. Her eyes focused on a half orange half black mask that dissapeared as quickly as it had appeared prevnting her from making out the man's entire figure.

Her brow furrowed as she made her way out of the alley and thanked God that she had picked a secluded area of the city to meet Scarecrow. She was relieved when she noticed that no one was out walking or nearby to see her stumble out of a smoke filled alley.

By the time her cab made it back to her apartment she was exhausted. She could feel her feet drag behind her as she made her way up the stairs and struggled with an excuse to tell the clown's goons after being gone for so long without one of them with her.

She prayed that the Joker wasnt there, she didnt have the engery yell at him much less fight.

Her hand wrapped around the doorknob and opened it slowly, shocked coursing through her when she saw all of his goons sleeping in her living room. She stepped inside quietly, the last thing she wanted was to wake any of them.

She paused in front of Happy's resting form on the couch and took the cup of coffee out of his hands. It was set down on the table in front of him before it slipped out of his grasp, shattered, and woke him.

A sigh left her lips when she pulled a blanket over Chuckles and took the gun out of Blade's hands, setting it down on the table as well.

She shook her head as she went around and rearranged most of the men, trying to coax them into more comfortable positions and throw blankets over them.

Her eyes threatened to close on her as she picked up empty bowls and plates while she headed into the kitchen, placing them in the sink before turning around and heading back to retrive more.

"You're just like children," she whispered, sitting beside Grumpy who had managed to fall asleep on one of the larger sofas. He shifted when he heard her voice, turning towards her unconciously.

She smiled at this and leaned over his form, slipping a pillow underneath his head.

His eyes opened slightly as she set him back down and pulled back in suprise.

"Where were you?" he slurred, half conscious as she smiled at his sleep laced voice. She shook her head and cupped his cheek, urging him to go back to sleep.

"It doesnt matter, Im here now, sleep," she whispred, watching as a strand of her hair fell over his face. He scrunched up his nose, blowing the strand away with a huff before settling back down.

Monica sighed in relief when she felt his head drop back into the pillow, his breathing slowing as he slept.

She sat up and made her way over to her room, knowing that the clown was out. There was no way they would all be asleep if he was there, they were only allowed rest whenever the Joker left for days on end. She could only wonder where he had dissapreared to this time.

Reaching her room, she stepped inside and closed the door with a push from her foot, tossing her hair back before freezing altogether when she realized she wasnt alone. The figure in front of her had caught her attention as soon as she looked up.

"Bruce?" she asked, seeing him waiting for her. It was impossible to confuse him with anyone else. He had probably climbed in through the window, knowing that the clown wasnt there and his goons were all sleeping in the living room.

She walked over to him slowly, unsure of where she stood with him after being gone for so long, she hadnt even bothered to call once.

She should have known it was a matter of time before she had to confront him, Gotham wasnt a large city after all. They were bound to run into one another at some point.

"Look, I know I dont deserve-"

Bruce didnt give her a chance to finish.

He closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight embrace. Monica tensed as soon as she came into contact with him, completely caught off guard.

The warmth that radiated off of him spread throughout her body, chasing away the chill that raked through her a few seconds ago.

She could feel tears clouding her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his waist, disbelief hitting her when it dawned on her that he didnt want to hear her excuses.

His actions told her everything she needed to know.

She was already forgiven.

"I've missed you," he whispered, pulling her closer, needing to feel her against him. He was afraid of letting her go, afraid of pulling back and seeing the frail woman he had seen a few weeks ago back in Mexico.

Monica let loose a shaky breath she hadnt realized she had been holding as she buried her face into his chest.

"I missed you too," she laughed, pulling back to look at him clearly.

Bruce felt his breath hitch when he looked down and saw the woman he had grown to love over the years staring back at him.

The dark circles underneath her eyes were beginning to fade and the color of her skin was no longer the pale sickly white that he had grown used to whenever he saw her.

Without so much as a second thought he leaned in and kissed her softly, having waited an entire year to have her back by his side.

Monica remained completely still in his arms.

She didnt know how to deal with everything he was throwing at her so suddenly.

'_You dont deserve this, you dont deserve him,'_ her mind barked viciously, urging her to push Bruce away for his own good.

She didnt deserve his forgiveness or his love, she deserved resentment and hate for everything she had put him through. He had given her everything and she had thrown it back ungratefully before running off with the Joker.

Bruce pulled back when he noticed her hesitation, freezing when he saw the clear confusion in her eyes.

Monica tried to ease the accusations in her head, tried to ignore the loathing that she felt towards herself when she felt Bruce's hand wipe away the tears that had already fallen down her cheeks.

Her eyes opened slowly when her thoughts screeched to a halt upon feeling his touch.

He was the only thing that managed to ground her whenever she retreated into her mind, whenever her thoughts began to turn against her.

"Im here," he murmured, squeezing her hand with one of his own as she nodded slowly and looked down at their entwined fingers.

"Why?" Monica asked before she could stop herself, pulling her hand away from his own. She was poisonous, everything she came into contact with became tainted or died, the last thing she wanted was to corrupt him for her own selfish needs.

"Why what?" he asked, noticing how she shrunk away from him, trying to make herself smaller. She looked like a trapped animal looking for a way out.

"Why are you still here, after...after everything I've done to you?" she asked, looking down at her hand in disgust before hugging herself. She could feel her world crumbling around her once more, no longer feeling safe as the chill from before tore through her body.

She had dug her own grave when he sided with the clown, now she had to deal with the consequences, she couldnt depend on others to help her.

Bruce could see the battle that raged inside of her, guilt and fear flashed through her eyes disappearing and reappearing at an alarming rate as she started to back away from him.

He was losing her again.

"You know why," he replied, walking slowly over to her, making sure she knew what his intentions were before he approached her. He had made the mistake of rushing in before and kissing her, clearly startling and confusing her further, he would have to be more careful next time.

Monica looked up at him while shaking her head.

'_You cant love me,_' she thought, '_you'll leave a soon as you remember everything I did to you.'_

Her eyes darted around for a way out of her predicament, wishing a black hole would open up and swallow her whole instead of facing the man she had let down time and time again.

'_That's right,_' her mind laughed, taunting her, '_run...like you always do.'_

She urged her body to move, to bolt towards the door while she still could.

"Monica, look at me," Bruce stated firmly, causing her eyes to snap up towards him instantly upon hearing his stern voice, "I'm not leaving you."

He reached out to her, pausing long enough to ask for permission.

A pitiful laugh left her lips when she noticed this.

'_Just kill yourself, dont waste his time... you arent even worthy of that,_' her mind added, causing Monica to retreat further into herself.

"Look at me!" Bruce growled, stepping forward when he saw the broken expression on her face. He couldnt stand to look at her like that again, he had seen enough when she had been in a coma.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him again, noticing how her body melted into his within seconds. She didnt have enough energy to keep fighting with her own thoughts and hold her body up any longer. Her eyelids grew heavy as she tried to make him realize that she couldnt finish their conversation at the moment, she prayed that he would understand.

"I cant do this right now Bruce, I feel tired, could you stay for a while?" she murmured, her voice muffled through his clothes as she picked her head up from his chest and looked up at him wearily. He nodded, knowing he had put her through enough for one day. He had rushed in foolishly, he needed to take things with her slowly if he hoped to get anything out of her.

Pushing her any further or asking her questions right now wouldnt benefit either of them.

For now he was content to have her back and unharmed. He was willing to do anything she asked of him, even if it meant stepping back and keeping his distance.

He coaxed her over to her bed and stood beside her, making sure she would be fine by herself before backing away and giving her space.

Monica watched as he walked over to the spare armchair next to the door and settled down for the night. She glanced at the bed and then at Bruce's tired figure as he rested his head back and closed his eyes.

He was exhausted, that much was clear, and yet there he was...refusing to leave her side after she had selfishly asked him to stay with her. She was depending on others once again.

Her eyes dropped down onto the floor as her hand scratched at the needle marks on her arm again, scolding herself for returning the morphine to Crane.

'You just need a shot,' her thoughts suggested, 'just one last shot to make everything better.'

Her hand scratched her arm frantically, hoping to stop the voices that rung in her head.

But it wasnt enough.

There was no way she could pull through by herself, she needed a solid anchor to hold her down when she started to implode on herself.

Before she knew what she was doing she was walking over to Bruce and settling down in his lap, curling up with him on the chair. She didnt want to be alone, if she was left unattended she knew for a fact that she would run back to Scarecrow and demand the drug that she was trying to stay away from.

The playboy opened his eyes once he felt her small frame curled up beside him, shaking and clutching his shirt for some sort of comfort.

He allowed his arms to wrap around her securely, running a hand through her black hair every so often to remind her that he was there by her side.

Monica found her body relaxing slowly, sleep finally taking a hold of her as she allowed herself the luxury of resting knowing that Bruce would be there when she woke.

Once she was asleep Bruce took the opportunity to look her over for any new wounds or bruises.

He was satisfied to find none until he looked at her left arm. The small red needle marks that stared up at him from beneath several scratch marks made him close his eyes in regret and shame.

He had failed her again, he hadnt been there when she needed him.

He covered the marks on her arm with one of his hands.

He rested his head above her own while pulling her closer, trying to figure out how he was going to fix her.

**Guys...where are you? Guys! What happened to my reviewers? And for those of you who leave them still, I salute you. You are the sole reason I find it in myself to write and update, you make my day. With that said, till next time my dears. ;D**


	79. Never Too Late

**Never Too Late**

**A/N: Finally managed to get this out there for you guys! It feel like forever but life's been rough as of late, I hope I didnt dissapoint. Pardon any typos, I didnt have time to go back and double check. With that said, enjoy the filler chappie! **

"This is just depressing," Monica commented from her spot in the kitchen. Her body was slumped over the counter overlooking the living room while she held her head up with one of her hands.

"What's depressing?" Blade asked casually as he walked by, picking up clips of ammunition and spare gun parts in an attempt to straighten the small place up.

"Christmas just passed and we all just sat here, drank hot chocolate, and stared blankly at the tv," Monica replied, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

"And that's bad?" Happy questioned, poking his head over the couch where he currently rested to look at her.

Monica scoffed at the goon's response before moving away from the counter to get a glass of water.

"It's tragic at best," she mumbled underneath her breath, sighing for the tenth time that night.

Grumpy leaned on the doorway to the kitchen and crossed his arms across his chest while he watched her.

"Maybe we shouldn't wait till New Year, Blade," Grumpy commented, turning to look at the goon in question. Monica turned back to look at him questioningly when she heard what he had just said.

"Wait for what?" she asked, partially curious.

"You'll see," Grumpy replied, moving away from his spot before resuming his task of helping Blade collect everything.

Monica noticed how out of character it was for both of them to be cleaning up after the rest of the goons. She watched through narrowed eyes as they packed all of the guns and equipment carefully into black duffel bags.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, walking into the living room tiredly. She motioned for Happy to move his legs with a tap from her hand before she sat down on the couch with him.

"We cant stay here anymore, darling, and neither can you," Grumpy told her, throwing one of the bags to a goon who stood by the doorway. Her brow furrowed as she realized what he was telling her.

"You cant be serious," she scowled, knowing the orders came from the clown, "don't tell me it's going to be another one of his warehouses in the Narrows."

She felt a chill run down her spine at the mere thought of leaving her home for a cold and damp space filled with old boxes and equipment.

Blade threw her an apologetic look when he walked by, answering her question before Grumpy had the chance to reply.

"Sorry, babe," Happy chuckled, shaking his head as she scoffed and turned to smack his leg.

Monica rose to get her things together before Chuckles shook his head at her and blocked the entrance to her room with one of his legs.

"Already taken care of," he told her, grinning when she huffed and turned around. It dawned on her that they had been planning the move for a while and had opted to avoid telling her until the last possible minute.

"How long have you known about this?" Monica snapped, turning towards Grumpy. She knew for a fact that he wouldnt lie to her, he was unable to.

"Since the boss left," Grumpy replied, scratching the back of his head in a tell-tale sign of embarrassment that Monica had learned to recognize by now.

"That was a month ago, Grumpy," Monica exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air, "you couldnt tell me this sooner?!"

"No," he replied, stopping in front of her as she glared up at him, "I knew you'd protest, love."

Monica's lip turned up into a sneer as Grumpy bowed his head and placed a kiss on her cheek when she turned her head away from him in anger.

"I hate all of you," she muttered, taking a seat in the dining room as she watched the rest of the goons gather whatever had been left behind by Blade and Grumpy.

By the time they were done she had taken note of memorizing every detail from her apartment and stored it away for later use. She knew her memories of her home for over a year would comfort her when she got to the clown's warehouse.

Blade held the door for her as she walked out and glanced back one last time before he shut the door behind them.

"We couldnt stay any longer," he explained, walking beside her down the hall as the other goons walked up ahead, "half of Gotham knew where we were."

Monica nodded in understanding and offered the young goon beside her a small smile. She knew that they were following orders, it wouldnt benefit anyone if she continued to voice her displeasure and make their lives difficult.

She followed after Grumpy and got into one of the Escalades that had been parked outside. A sigh left her lips as Blade got into the driver's seat and turned the car on.

"It's been a month since I've seen the clown, has he really been that busy?" Monica asked as they drove through the streets of Gotham. She failed to see that they were headed further and further away from the Narrows as Blade glanced back at her through the rearview mirror.

"Things arent back to normal, there's still a few inmates from Arkham that hold sway on the streets," Blade replied, "the boss just needs to settle a few things."

Monica breathed out loudly and rested her head against Grumpy's shoulder, content with Blade's answer for now.

She had grown so used to the Joker's presence that his month long absence seemed surreal to her. Half of the time she expected to see him lounging on the couch or sprawled on her bed whenever she walked into her room.

"We're not in the Narrows anymore," Monica commented, finally taking a moment to look out of the window when she caught sight of the street they were on.

"We need to make a short stop first," Grumpy replied, fighting to keep a straight face as he looked at Blade through the rearview mirror. Monica nodded and settled back down against him as she took note of the large houses that they passed by.

She closed her eyes and missed the looks of anticipation on the faces of the goons as they neared their destination.

"We're here, do you mind coming with me, it won't be long," Grumpy whispered to Monica, shaking her in an attempt to stop her from falling asleep entirely.

She nodded slowly, getting out of the car with him without saying a word. Grumpy made sure to lead her up the stairs of the large mansion with care while motioning for the rest of the goons to follow behind him quietly.

"What are we getting again?" Monica asked, yawning as she finally rose her head and looked at the door with a startled look on her face.

Grumpy stood beside her, grinning from ear to ear as Blade walked up to them and waited for her reaction.

Monica reached out for the note that had been stabbed into the door with the clown's trademark knife with shaking hands, refusing to believe what she was reading.

'_Merry Christmas, beautiful._

_ -J.'_

She glanced back at Grumpy and Blade with shock and covered her mouth with one of her hands as she turned towards the door and reached for the handle and pushed it open.

"Oh my god!" she laughed, her eyes widening when she was greeted with the largest christmas tree she had ever seen in the middle of the foyer, cradled by a double staircase with lights wrapped around the railing. She registered her body entering the house and approaching the large tree in disbelief.

"We didnt forget... and there was no way we'd take you to another warehouse," Blade whispered to her as he walked past her and ruffled her hair. She stood dumbstruck as the rest of the goons entered the house and left the bags near the entrance.

"Merry late Christmas, darling," Grumpy chuckled from behind her, wrapping his arms around her small frame. He rested his head above her own and smiled when he felt her arms rest over his own.

"This is amazing!" Monica laughed, looking up at the crystal chandelier that shone brightly despite the dim lighting coming fron the tree.

She held back a laugh when she noticed the ornaments on it. Bullet shells and grenades replaced some of the spheres and candy canes that were scattered throughout the branches, hidden among the gold spheres and silver garland.

"It won't be the same but we can have our own Christmas," Grumpy offered, kissing the top of her head as Blade reapeared with two crystal mugs filled with eggnog and offered them to the pair.

Monica took one greatly and reveled in the warmth that seeped through the glass as she watched Grumpy accept the other.

She took a sip and nearly choked when she registered the taste in her mouth.

"Jesus Christ, you spiked this didnt you?" Monica choked, holding back her laughter as she took another sip. Blade feigned innocence and rose his hands as Grumpy shook his head at the young goon and drank some as well with a smirk on his lips.

"Get in here, the boss got a pool table!" Happy's voice informed them as Monica's head shot over towards the sound of his voice.

"You up for a round, darling?" Grumpy asked, releasing her only to wrap an arm around one of her shoulders. Monica snorted at his question before laughing quietly, trying to contain her excitement.

"You're on, dearest," she replied, nuzzling his jaw before leaving his side and entering the living room where Happy had just called them from.

"She needed this," Grumpy commented, his smile dropping slightly as he turned to look at Blade. The other goon nodded and took a look around the large house that they now called home.

"The boss thought this out well, she's in love with the place," the young goon pointed out, "we shouldn't let Chuckles and Happy decorate the tree next time, though."

Grumpy nodded in agreement as his smile returned.

"Come on, who knows when the clown will be back, live a little, Blade," Grumpy commented, patting the other man's shoulder as he followed after Monica.

Blade looked after the other and then glanced towards the door, indecision eating away at him.

"Blade get in here," Monica's voice snapped, pulling him out of his thoughts, "Grumpy just teamed up with Happy, I need you to help me kick their asses!"

He closed his eyes and shook his head, grateful for her sudden outburst. He understood then and there why the clown depended on her from time to time. She was the only light that they had in their lives, the only thing that kept them going after a long day.

No matter what they did or how badly they screwed up she always greeted them with a smile and open arms.

"You're a godsend," Blade whispered to her, turning away from the door as he allowed himself breathe for a few hours without having to worry about the clown.

He entered the room and snorted when he saw her pouting across the pool table while Grumpy and Happy stood on the other side, poised and ready to strike.

"You're both going down," Blade laughed, tossing her one of the sticks while he grabbed one for himself.

Monica caught it with ease and found herself stepping back and taking in her surroundings more and more as the game went on. The time that it took Happy to calculate a shot was used to slowly accept the fact that this was her new home, chandeliers and all.

Her mind would wander every time Grumpy leaned over to get a better shot, trying to comprehend what she had done to deserve everything that they had given to her.

"Hey, you alright?" Grumpy asked quietly as Blade clicked his tongue at Happy's shot and moved to take his when the other missed the ball.

"Yeah," Monica replied, looking at him wondering when everything around them would fall apart and crash at their feet. It was only a matter of time until Gotham turned their lives upside down and the Joker came back.

"Dont worry about things you cant control," Grumpy whispered to her seriously, sensing her distress before cracking a smile, "I want you concentrate and remember how badly we beat you today."

Monica's lips curled upwards into a grin when she heard him, amazed at the fact that he could get her to forget about the everything and unwind with a single phrase.

She pushed all of her worries down, from the clown's absence to Goeth hunting her down and watched as Grumpy angled his body to get a better shot.

Even as she moved forward and placed the pool stick above her knuckles all she could do was hope that she managed to hit her target.

Hope that things stayed as they were.

Hope that her world didn't fall apart as soon as the Joker reappeared in her life.

**Review! I was thinking of making a New Year chapter as well, any thoughts? What would you guys like to see? It'll be the last filler chapter before I drop the final ones on you guys. Feel free to leave a review, I want to see and hear from you guys more! Till next time my dears! **


	80. Numb

**Numb**

**A/N: Guyssss, Im back! I am gonna get these chapters out as fast as I possibly can, pardon any typos I have yet to go back and proof read any of my recent updates, just bare with me through this one my dears. With that said, thank you for sticking with me and my crappy updating skills, I hope you enjoy! **

"Blade, its been two months, this isnt like him," Monica pushed, refusing to let the goon out of the kitchen until he told her the truth. Grumpy stood by the doorway, ready to stop the younger criminal incase he decided to bolt.

"Its nothing to worry about," Blade replied, uncertainty showing through his posture as Monica narrowed her eyes at him.

"Bullshit, what's he been up to, where is he Blade?" she questioned, fear and worry starting to creep into her voice. It wasnt odd for the clown to be gone for long periods of time, she knew he came and went as he pleased and she had no right to keep tabs on him.

'But he hasnt even stopped by once,' her thoughts hissed, causing her to cross her arms and wait for Blade's reply. He usually checked in with her whenever he was gone for days on end even if it was just for a few minutes.

"I dont know, boss," Blade replied, shaking his head as he looked down and refused to meet her eyes. She felt a small smile grace her lips when she heard what he had called her. He had taken to addressing her exactly like the clown over time, showing nothing but respect and loyalty.

"So he hasnt called you either," Chuckles murmured from behind Grumpy as he snapped closed his burner and scoffed once Happy popped his head over his shoulder.

"He hasnt called any of us, darling, try not to worry about it too much, he'll reach out to us soon," Grumpy told her, trying to ease her nerves as he stepped forward and took her into his arms.

The rest of the goons threw her reassuring looks before resuming their previous tasks.

Monica sighed and relaxed as Grumpy nuzzled her jaw, the stubble on his cheeks soothing her nerves as everything around her slowly faded into the background.

Until three sharp knocks brought her crashing back down to reality.

She felt Grumpy tense and automatically pull her closer in an attempt to protect her before reallizing that it had only been the door.

"You have to get that, love," he told her, his chest rumbling as he spoke. Monica groaned and buried her face in his chest, hoping that she had only imagined the knocks.

"Open the damn door, you assholes!" Ivy's voice shouted, pounding on the wooden door harder as Monica's eyes shot open upon hearing her. Grumpy let her go with a sigh and watched as she rushed over to the door.

"Ivy?" Monica questioned, pulling the door back before her whole body went numb at the sight before her.

The clown stood beside the red head, barely holding himself up, with his head hung low and one of his arms cradling his ribs.

She hurried over to his side in order to relieve some of the weight off of Ivy's shoulders and grimaced when her arm wrapped around his waist gently causing him to wince and hiss at her warningly.

"We have to get him inside," Ivy urged, trying to coax the clown towards the door as Monica nodded in agreement. She felt her breath catch in her throat when her fingers registered dried blood that had formed around the wound that he was trying to cover.

"What happened?" Monica asked, turning towards Ivy as they managed to drag him through the front door.

"Boss?" Blade shouted, seeing the state that the Joker was in, rushing towards him followed by the rest of his men as soon as soon as they saw him.

"You should have seen the other guys," Ivy laughed, stopping when she registered the clown tensing and pulling away from her.

"You should go, Red," he snarled, leaning entirely on Monica, "get me Crow."

Monica's brow furrowed upon hearing him, what did he want with Scarecrow?

Where had he been for the past two months?

"You sure, J?" Ivy questioned, her green eyes locked on the hand that he refused to move from his side.

"I wont repeat myself," he snarled, looking up at her through blood matted green locks. Monica turned to look at him when she heard his ragged breathing and braced herself when she felt him struggle to stand beside her once Ivy let go of him.

"Take care of him, boys," Ivy snapped, nodding to him once before turning away and walking towards the door, winking at Monica as she passed by.

"What do you want us to do, boss?" Grumpy asked, watching as the clown held back a groan of pain and held on tighter to Monica who looked like she was about to collapse along with him.

"Leave," he growled, closing his eyes when his vision began to blur and the room began to spin. The only thing that grounded him was the woman beside him.

"Boss, you need medical-"

"Blade, just leave," Monica whispered, trying to reason with his second in command.

She could feel the clown's body shaking beside her own, he was hurting and he didnt trust anyone when he was weak and exposed. He would turn on them in a fraction of a second if she didnt get them to leave.

Blade nodded in understanding and ushered all of the goons towards the door without protest. The clown's body tensed when his men rushed past him, slamming the door shut when the last one was out.

"You're a mess," Monica growled, struggling to hold him up as she led him towards the staircase. It took her ten minutes to get him up the flight of stairs without falling, pausing only to let him rest and catch his breath.

"I need to get you out of this," Monica commented, kicking the door to her room open, letting him adjust before she led him towards the bathroom. He hesitated and froze when he looked down at his bloodstained clothes.

The last thing he wanted was for her to see what he had been up to during his absence.

"Come on," Monica whispered, pulling him into the large room as she sat him down and ran the bath. She turned to look at him and walked slowly over to him, knowing how dangerous and unpredictable he got whenever his health was in question. It was a gamble on whether he would be sharper than ever or completely oblivious to hi surroundings.

Her shaking fingers reached for his tie and started to undo it, feeling the stained silk slip from her grasp and fall to the ground. She relaxed when she noted that he hadnt voiced any complaints yet.

The Joker closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder as she leaned down and started to undo the buttons on his shirt, wincing when she saw the first of several bruises on his collar bone.

"What were you doing?" she murmured, stopping and reaching out to touch the blue and purple marks on his pale skin.

He didnt answer, he merely concentrated on the touch of her fingers in order to distract himself from the sharp jabs of pain that shot up his body.

A hiss left his lips when she finally slipped his dress shirt off of his shoulders and placed it to the side, knowing he would have her head if she tossed it onto the floor.

"Who did this?" she asked dangerously, examing every inch of his skin through narrowed eyes. He would be lucky if infection hadnt managed to take over his body with all of the blood and dirt that were caked onto his wounds.

"They're dead," the clown replied, his voice muffled against her shoulder as she sighed and kneeled down in front of him.

"Thats not what I asked," she replied, resuming her previous task while reaching for his belt. He laughed slightly, amazed at the way she talked to him still.

"Germans, six of them," he replied, cracking his knuckles as she pulled off his belt and tugged him forward involuntarily.

Monica's brow rose when she heard him, he had taken on six Germans by himself?

"That doesnt explain why you were gone for so long," she added, trying to get answers out of him while she still could. The clown's eyes shot down towards her when she undid the button to his dress pants.

A mock pout graced his lips when she pulled away from him and sat down on the bathroom floor, crossing her legs in the process.

"I was tied up," he snapped, clicking his tongue as she snorted and started to laugh at him.

"So you were kidnapped," she concluded, seeing him tense above her. She was in no position to be mocking him, if he wanted to get rid of her all he had to do was lean forward and outstretch his hand an inch.

"Technicallly," he commented, before a grin tugged his lips upwards, "I only stayed until they stopped amusing me."

"It took them two months to bore you?" she asked, slipping his shoes off with ease as he shook his head above her.

"Doll, it went dull after the first day," he commented, standing much quicker than she would have thought due to his injuries.

Monica's eyes widened when she saw a large sewn up gash near his hip bone, the black thread barely holding his skin together.

"Then why were you gone for so long?" she finally asked, the second part only echoing through her head ,'_was it because of me, do I no longer amuse you?'_

The question had run through her mind time and time again whenever she looked around for him, whenever she expected to hear his laugh when one of his goons did something erratic and uncalled for to entertain her.

The Joker looked down at her as he used one of her shoulders for support, disliking the hurt look on her face.

He could see that her thoughts were running a million miles an hour.

He didnt need to see her looking at him like that, he didnt need to be reminded that she worried about him whenever he went out.

"Did ya miss me that much, beautiful?" he joked, hoping to divert her attention and ease the tension that was starting to smother him.

"In your dreams," she replied with a forced smile that didnt go unoticed by him. She stood up without saying another word and led him towards the bath before standing back as he kicked off the remainder of his bloodied clothes and got in.

The clown's piercing eyes never left her face as she moved around the bathroom to hand him anything that he might need. She was avoiding him already, looking at him only when necessary.

"Wash off all the blood, its hard to get off the sheets," she added before she headed towards the door, never looking back at him.

The Joker stared at her until she was gone before glancing down at the now pink water.

He had expected her to welcome him differently, to shout at him, to be mad.

The cold treatment that he had received didn't sit too well with him.

He pushed the thought aside and proceeded to wash off all of the grime that had accumulated on his skin over time. A hiss or two left his lips when he went around the raw gash on his lower stomach before he tossed the rag aside.

Time dragged by as he sat still, his mind processing everything he had done in the past two months, everything he had refused to tell her.

By the time he managed to work up enough effort to get out he felt exhausted beyond compare.

He wrapped a towel around his waist loosely before heading out of the bathroom and scowling when he saw the empty bed that awaited him with his clean clothes folded neatly on the side.

A chuckle left his lips when he realized why Monica wasnt waiting for him. She had probably grown tired of him kicking her off the bed without fail whenever he needed to rest.

He changed slowly, careful not to irritate any of his wounds before limping out of the room.

His head turned to look down both ends of the hall before finding one of the doors partially open, stumbling towards it slowly.

A shaking hand opened it all of the way and a Cheshire grin reached his lips when he saw her figure resting on the bed.

He managed to climb onto the bed and crawl over to her before collapsing tiredly onto her.

Monica flinched and woke when she felt a solid mass on top of her, panic settled in when she remembered that it couldnt be Grumpy due to him being gone.

"I stayed to draw the little German out," the clown's voice reached her ears, as she picked her head up to look at him using her stomach as a pillow.

"Victoria?" Monica's sleep laced voice asked as she felt his arm drape over her hip.

"The one and only," he replied, his chest rumbling as he spoke, "she was bound to check in at some point."

Monica waited for him to finish, amazed at the fact that he was telling her in the first place. Why had he even bothered to track down Victoria? It wasnt his problem, it was hers.

"And she did," he added, chuckling only to stop and groan in pain when the gash on his stomach burned.

"You have Victoria?" Monica asked, surprise spreading through her features as he smiled wickedly up at her.

"She's in the trunk," he whispered, humming contentedly upon nuzzling her hipbone and feeling her smooth skin over his scars, "in 13 pieces."

Monica froze when she heard what he had just said.

Victoria was dead.

"I was covered in her blood mostly," the Joker laughed, "the other six were left behind as a present for her daddy."

"He's going to come after us," Monica whispered in horror, wondering why her doors werent being kicked down then and there with Victoria dead.

"That's the plan, beautiful," he replied, trying to sleep as she remained tensed beneath him.

He had thought everything out and knew how everything would play out, all he had to do was wait.

Wait and enjoy what little time he had left with her.

"This isnt ok," she added, her had grippping his forearm for some sort of comfort. He chuckled at her pathetic attempt to calm her nerves as he closed his eyes.

"Go to sleep, doll," he ordered, enjoying the warmth that her body provided, "I'll handle him when his time is up."

Monica's eyes shot towards him when she heard what he said.

It wasnt his fight, he didnt have to get involved.

Why was he helping her again?

She nodded, knowing that he couldnt see the gesture before dropping her head back down onto the pillow and trying to calm her breathing.

Her hand drifted down over the covers and wove into his damp hair, toying with his curls and massaging his scalp in an attempt to keep herself busy.

He had done so much for her.

So much.

"I love you," she whispered, half asleep, unaware that he too had already fallen asleep.

There were no words that described how much she adored the man who was ready to pounce and burn an entire city if it so much as looked at her wrong.

She could only wonder what he got out of helping her, what he gained from being beaten and tortured for two months other than Victoria's lifeless body.

He didnt do it out of love for, he didnt love her.

She knew that.

He couldn't love her.

That didnt stop her from believing that he did, from hoping that he gave a damn half of the time and that he didnt just use her whenever he was bored.

Her restless mind stopped her from overanalyzing his actions for the time being and tried to get her to rest, to enjoy a few hours of sleep while she still could.

She would need them. for what he was about to put her through.

**Review! Shoutout to all of you guys that come back and review week after week, I CANNOT express my gratitute enough to you guys! You keep me going and make me feel guilty whenever I take forever to update. Fear not, this saga is coming to a close and the next few chapters are gonna go down in flames for lack of a better term. With that said, dont be afraid to review, the more come in the more guilty I feel and the faster I update, till next time my dears!**


	81. Did You Forget?

**Did You Forget?**

**A/N: So sorry for this update, I thought I uploaded it over two weeks ago and it wasnt until yesterday that I recieved a message asking when I would update that I realized that it never uploaded -_- With that said, read on my dears, and sorry for the wait!**

Monica sighed as she stepped out of the room she shared with the clown. She tried to be quiet as she passed by the other rooms down the hall, trying to sneak out without any of the goons noticing.

"The boss wouldnt like you heading out alone," Blade's voice chuckled, causing her to stop dead in her tracks, "especially now."

She face palmed when she saw him waiting at the base of the stairs, his legs stretched out in front of him as he in turn looked up at her.

"I should have known I couldnt get past you," Monica replied, descending as she waited for him to remove his leg. Blade stared at her blankly for a moment before moving aside, staring after her cautiously.

"Did you tell the boss?" he asked, watching as she paused before reaching for her keys.

"No," she admited, "he cant be there when explain where I've been for this past year to my club."

Blade nodded as he stood up and stretched, motioning for the keys.

"You're not going to ride, its too dangerous," he stated, leaving no room for argument, "and you wont be going alone either."

Monica clicked her tongue, an annoying habit she had picked up from the clown, before reluctantly handing him the keys. Deep down she knew he was right, she couldnt go alone after what had happened to Victoria.

"Alright, lets go," she sighed, grabbing her jacket on the way out, "the sooner we get back the better."

She closed the door behind her, hoping that the Joker was still sleeping by the time they got back.

Blade drove through the streets quietly, keeping an observant eye on every vehicle that approached or stopped behind them. He was going to be the one on the firing line if anything happened to Monica while she was out with him.

"Something's wrong," Monica whispered as they pulled up. She could see Beelzebub's bike parked at the far end of the lot, still on along with three others.

They never left their bikes alone, especially when they were on.

"Hey, wait!" Blade hissed, reaching out to hold Monica in place as she threw the door open and sprinted towards the bar. The goon next to her cursed and reached underneath the seat for a handgun before running after her.

He ran straight into her and caused her to stumble forward as she raised one of her fingers up to her lips and motioned for him to listen.

The bat itself was empty and dark, sending another wave of dread through Monica when she remembered the amount of bikes parked outside.

"Beelzebub?" she called, looking around for anything out of place. She took a step forward to to turn on the light before she slipped on something and crashed down onto the floor.

Blade stepped forward and turned on the light before paling at the scene before him.

Monica's face contorted into one of disgust when she finally saw what she had fallen on. Her breath halted as she rose a blood covered hand to her face, trying to calm her internal panic as she saw the pool of crimson beneath her.

"Come on," Blade ushered, trying to help her up as her shaking hands gripped his arms and stained his clothes.

"Who's blood is this?" she whispered, trying to ignore the fact that her entire back was soaked along with her hair. Her eyes followed the trail that had been left behind towards the back rooms with fear.

"We need to leave, they're still here ," Blade warned her, checking his gun before realizing that Monica was no longer by his side. He cursed when he heard footsteps on the second floor and rushed after her.

"Micah?" Monica whispered, trying the first of several doors leading towards the stairway. She covered her face and closed her eyes when she saw one of the bartenders lying on the bed, her throat slit.

She backed away slowly upon remembering that she had only been 21 years old, she had a child at home, she had a life that she would never get back to.

Before she knew what had happened she had fallen back into another room, noticing that the lock had been shot off.

Her eyes shot up towards the ceiling when she noticed the blood that had been smeared everywhere. She followed it down to its source and froze upon finding Micah slouched over in a chair by the corner.

She walk towards him, foolishly hoping that he was somehow still alive.

"This was my fault," she whispered, seeing the amount of blood that had pooled down over his chest.

She picked his head up gently with her hands and clenched her jaw when she saw the bullet hole one the side of his head.

Her eyes traveled downwards and narrowed when she saw a knife that had been left imbeded in his chest.

"Theres two more in the other rooms," Blade informed her from the doorway, looking down the hall uneasily.

Monica could barely hear him above the hum in her head as she reached forward and wrapped her hand around the handle of the blade.

"I'm sorry, Micah," she whispered, cupping his cheek with her free hand while she pulled out the blade with the other.

She stood up and turned away, pulling off the piece of paper that had been attached to the blade. Blade checked the hall one more time before walking over to her, watching as she opened it and read it.

"'Up'?" Blade questioned, reading the word scrawled on the bloodied paper.

Monica crushed it before storming out of the room, catching side glances of the other bodies that had been left behind for her.

She headed towards the stairs, taking two at a time with Blade at her heels trying to stop her from getting any further.

"The time it takes for your men to get their shit together amazes me," Black Mask taunted, waiting patiently for her on the second floor. Monica's eyes narrowed as soon as she saw him, wishing she had a gun in her hand to shoot him where he stood.

"Did you do this?" she asked through clenched teeth as Blade finally caught up to her and sighed when he saw who was in the room with them. His hand reached towards his back pocket to retrieve his phone, pushing a button and sending a text to Grumpy.

"Arent you even gonna say hello?" Black Mask snapped, smiling behind his mask as Monica tried to keep herself in check.

"Did you do this?" she repeated, noting the blood on the tips of his shoes and the stains on his suit.

"I would never dirty my hands with their filthy blood," Black Mask answered, raising his gloved hands to prove a point.

Monica moved towards him when she heard his reply before being stopped abruptly by a blade being driven into the wall in front of her face.

Blade pulled her back within a fraction of a second and rose his gun at the second man that had come with Black Mask.

"Deathstroke," Blade snarled, aiming at his head as the other pulled the sword from the wall and steadied it over the goon's neck.

"Blade," Deathstroke replied, eager to end the goon's life then and there. Monica's eyes snapped towards Black Mask when he started to clap and walk closer to her.

"As much as I would love to see you two tear eachother to shreds, I'm afraid I must remind you that we have more pressing matters to attend to," Black Mask commented, hearing the growl that Deathstroke directed at him for interrupting.

"We aren't through, boy," Deathstroke snapped, refusing to take his eyes off of the goon within his reach.

"Who said I was going anywhere," Blade replied, gripping the trigger tightly as Black Mask snorted at the pair and reached for something within his suit. Monica stepped back as he tossed something over to her, catching it while he looked for something else.

"Your cartel acquaintances got here before us," Black Mask growled, finding the smoke bomb that he had been looking for.

"We had no hand in this, it is far too messy," Deathstroke added, putting more pressure onto Blade's neck when the goon jumped due to his phone ringing loudly.

"Why were you here?" Monica asked, getting unnerved by the never ending ringing.

"It hardly matters now," Black Mask commented, cracking his neck as he pulled the pin on the grenade, "they left a message for you."

Monica pulled back and managed to tear Blade away from Deathstroke as the other swiped the blade towards him. She covered her mouth and coughed as the small hallway soon filled with smoke, moving rapidly to get outside.

The pair stumbled out of the building, watching as Deathstroke slipped into the shadows and Black Mask climbed into a car.

"We'll be in touch," he laughed, tilting his head as he pulled out his phone and pressed a button.

Blade heard the beeping from within the building behind them and barely had any time to pull Monica down onto the ground before it blew up from within.

Monica hissed when her body hit the ground, watching as debris flew over their heads and bikes were knocked over.

"Oh my god," she choked, pulling away from Blade as she managed to stand and look at her clubhouse.

She held her head with her hands as flames engulfed the building, disbelief and horror coursing through her body.

Blade kept his distance, finally answering his phone only to be yelled at by Grumpy and the other goons.

Monica looked down at the phone in her hands and clicked on the video that had been left on screen.

It blurred in and out of focus before she finally saw what had been recorded for her.

'_What's your name_?' a man's voice asked, zooming in on the figure in the center of the frame.

Monica could feel tears pooling over her eyes as she watched, she knew who it was by the mere styling of his hair.

'_Lucifer_,' the figure replied weakly, raising his head from its hung position. A smug smile graced his bruised lips as he stared directly at the camera.

She could see that they had bound his hands behind his back and secured his legs to the chair he was in. The amount of brusies and cuts on his skin told her that they had tried to break him before they made the video.

'_Who do you answer to?_' the man asked.

Monica watched as a leg kicked Lucifer's side when he hesitated in answering.

'_The leader of the Bastards,_' Lucifer replied, snarling at the man behind the camera.

Monica shook her head when she saw the defeated look in Lucifer's eyes as they continued to ask him questions and beating him.

'_Do you know why you're here_?' the man questioned, zooming out.

Monica could see two men standing beside Lucifer, both of their faces hidden behind black masks.

'_Because I refuse to roll over like a dog and give you what you want,'_ Lucifer snapped, his breathing ragged as he spit out blood onto one of the guards' shoes.

'_We'll ask one more time, where did Monica run to, where can we find her?_'

Monica watched as Lucifer sneered at them before laughing slowly, shaking his head and testing the bonds on his hands.

'_You know I'll never answer that and neither will they,_' Lucifer snarled, trying to lunge at the man behind the camera when another came into view with a large serrated knife.

Monica's eyes widened when the camera panned to reveval five more of her men sitting up against a white wall, all bound and beaten. She watched as the camera was flipped over and the man who had been filming came into view.

'_You did this_,' Alhambra informed her, grinning from ear to ear, '_you ran and in doing so caused this."_

The camera turned back towards Lucifer as the mercenary holding the knife took his place behind the biker. Monica's breathing grew erratic as the world around her slowly faded away, she didnt even notice the trucks pulling up around her and Blade.

'_We'll settle for the little girl,'_ Alhambra added, trying to tempt Lucifer as the biker's eyes shot towards him in an instant.

''_Dont you dare, dont you fucking dare touch either of them_," Lucifer barked, pulling at the restraints with all of his strength as Alhambra's drawn out sigh reached Monica's ears.

'_He's not gonna tell us anything, finish him and bring me another,' _Alhambra ordered, fumbling with the camera for a few seconds. Lucifer continued to struggle, lunging at him as Alhambra laughed and provoked him.

Her breath halted as she watched them run the blade over his neck, blood pouring down and over the blade, coating his shirt.

She didnt register the tears that ran down her cheeks as the phone fell out of her hands, crashing down onto the pavement below.

The screams and death threats that came from her men on the speaker echoed in her head as she tired to find something to ground her.

Her hands reached out blindly for the first thing she could grab onto as she stumbled and fell, scraping the palm of her hand in the process.

The flames from her clubhouse blazed behind her, sending wave after wave of heat against her skin.

'_You killed him!_' she heard Berial yell as gurgling reached her ears. She tried to get the images of Lucifer choking on his own blood out of her head, of his lungs filling up with it and killing him slowly.

'_You animal, I'm going to kill you, you're dead!' _another of her men yelled, as crashing resonated from the speaker.

_'I'll ask one more time, where is she?_' Alhambra yelled over them as Monica stared down at the ground in panic. She clawed at the pavement, sending jolts of pain from her fingers up her arms in an attempt to feel anything other than guilt and fear.

A gunshot from the video reached her ears as more yells and curses came through the speakers.

'_Gotham! She's in Gotham you fucking inbred_!' another man cried as silence fell over the speaker.

Monica's eyes went in and out focus as she started to piece everything together.

'_And the girl_?' Alhambra's voice asked, followed by a long pause.

'_They're both in Gotham_,' the man replied, Monica couldnt recognize his voice she could only assume that he was one of the newer prospects.

"Jesus christ, are you ok, darling?" Grumpy asked, running over to Monica who remained kneeling on the ground with the phone next to her. She hadnt even realized that the clown had arrived and was stalking dangerously over to her.

'_You ratted!_' Berial's voice barked over the rest as Monica tilted her head towards the phone, '_you just got her killed, they were never going to let us go_!'

Monica jumped when more gunshots reached her ears followed by a disturbing silence.

_'If you're watching this, we're already in Gotham and half of your men are dead,_' Alhambra's voice informed her, '_the girl is next.'_

Alhambra's words repeated over and over in her head as the i, nothing but a jumble of vowels until she registered the last part of the video.

Her body picked itself up with an alarming speed as she looked around disoriented for the truck she had come in.

"What did you do with your hands?" the clown snarled when she ran into him in her panic, taking a hold of her wrists to see the damage better.

The bleeding that came from her raised fingernails didnt seem to faze her in the least as she tried to get away from him.

Grumpy picked up the phone that she had left and pressed play, wanting to see what had caused her to break down.

Goons rushed past him to see the damage that the clubhouse had sustained and check to see if anyone was still around.

"Kiri," Monica choked, trying to push him away.

She was losing time, if the cartel got to Kiri before she did she would never be able to forgive herself.

"What happened to Kiri?" Happy asked, running up to them as Chuckles' head snapped over to them as well upon hearing the little girl's name.

"Boss, we need to get to her right now," Grumpy yelled, running over as well with the phone in his hand.

The clown's eyes shot over to the screen in time to see them cutting Lucifer's head off. His smile dropped slowly when he saw the same man that had attempted to stop them at the airport shoot the rest of her men.

'_The little girl is next,_' Alhambra laughed as the video ended once more.

The Joker growled before throwing Monica over towards the closest Escalade in fury.

She managed to catch herself before she crashed into the window and opened the door slowly, gasping when the clown reached over the gear shift and pulled her in brutally.

"We'll meet you over there, boss," Blade yelled as the clown nodded and stepped on the gas, driving towards the safehouse that Kiri was kept in by the bikers.

He kept glancing at Monica out of the corner of his eye, noting the way that her blood soaked fingers didnt seem to faze her.

She kept her gaze straight ahead, shifting continuously.

He had seen what watching Lucifer's death had done to her mind, she had started to implode on herself. The only thing that managed to pull her out of it had been her concern for Kiri.

He didnt want to know what losing the child would do to her.

The clown could only hope for the best as he pulled up to the small house, finding the driveway empty except for a pair of motorcycles.

He watched as Monica threw open the car door and ran from his side towards the house, tearing the door down. He stared after her, waiting for her to run out with the child in her arms.

The Joker's body froze when he heard her blood curdling scream from within the house. His eyes closed and a sigh left his lips as he bit his bottom lip and slowly got out of the Escalade as Blade and the other goons pulled up behind him.

He threw them a pointed glare when they tried to go into the house.

Monica's pained screams caused his jaw to clench tightly as he headed inside, unaware of what he was walking into.

The clown's body paused as he saw her hunched over form craddling a small body to her chest, broken sobs and screams leaving her lips.

He didnt know how he was going to put her back together this time.

**Review! I miss you guys, where did you all go? **


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